FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Elections

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many allegations his Department received of electoral fraud in Helmand province during the parliamentary elections in Afghanistan in 2010.

William Hague: The elections in Afghanistan were an Afghan-led process with support from the UK and the international community. The Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) is the official body in Afghanistan who handle and investigate complaints of electoral fraud. To date, the ECC has received over 4,000 complaints in connection with the recent parliamentary elections. Allegations of electoral fraud in Helmand have been limited to 57: six have been classed as category 'A' complaints (based on credible evidence and likely to affect the outcome); 15 were classed as category 'B' (credible, but not likely to impact the overall outcome); 36 were classed as category 'C' (low credibility, poorly evidenced, unlikely to affect the final outcome).

Democratic Republic of Congo: Sexual Offences

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to improve the effectiveness of the UN Mission Stabilization Organization in protecting women from sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

William Hague: The UK has worked to ensure that civilian protection, including protecting women from sexual violence, remains the United Nations Organisation Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO's) mandated top priority. In response to the recently reported mass rapes in Walikale, we have pressed for MONUSCO to take forward urgently recommendations to protect and defend civilians better, in particular through communications with the local population.
	The primary responsibility for protection of civilians lies with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) authorities, and my hon. Friend the Minister for Africa raised our concerns with Foreign Minister Thambwe both during a recent visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo and during their meeting in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. We will continue to urge President Kabila to implement his "Zero Tolerance" policy towards bringing perpetrators of sexual violence to justice.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  by how much his Department plans to reduce its contribution to the budget of BBC World Service in 2010-11;
	(2)  by how much his Department plans to reduce its contribution to the budget of the British Council in 2010-11.

Alistair Burt: Updated information on the budgets for the British Council and the BBC World Service will be published in the winter supplementary estimates.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for further changes to his Department's budget in 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

William Hague: Updated information on the 2010-11 departmental budget will be published in the Winter Supplementary Estimates.

High Peace Council

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with President Karzai on the work of the High Peace Council.

William Hague: We welcome the establishment of the High Peace Council in Afghanistan. We are in regular contact with the Government of Afghanistan on this and other issues.

Kosovo: Orthodox Church

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the number of  (a) Orthodox churches, monasteries and gravestones in Kosovo which have been destroyed or damaged and  (b) people who have been (i) arrested and (ii) convicted for such damage or destruction in each of the last two years.

David Lidington: In 2008, twenty incidents of criminal damage against Serbian Orthodox sites were reported. Twenty people were arrested in relation to these attacks. In 2009 there were nineteen incidents reported, leading to twenty six arrests. This year eighteen cases of damaged or stolen religious monuments have been reported so far, predominantly damage to Serbian Orthodox cemeteries. Kosovo police statistics on arrests in 2010 will not be available until the end of the year. Data on the number of convictions is not readily available. This is because the Kosovo police do not hold such records centrally.

Pope Benedict XVI

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the recent visit of Pope Benedict XVI; and if he will make a statement.

Henry Bellingham: Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United Kingdom-the first official visit by a Pope to this country-was an important milestone in the relationship between the UK and the Holy See.
	The visit paved the way for further co-operation between the UK and the Holy See on a number of international issues where we share a common goal, including addressing the challenge of climate change, promoting multi-faith dialogue as a means of working for peace in the world, and fighting poverty and disease. These were among the issues discussed both in bilateral meetings during the visit and at the working dinner with the Papal delegation hosted by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary.
	The visit was also an opportunity to showcase the UK as a home to many religious traditions and to highlight the contribution they can make in a modern pluralistic society.
	We value our co-operation with the Holy See, and look forward to building on the links established by the visit in the period ahead.

Serbia: Kosovo

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Serbian counterpart on talks between Serbia and Kosovo; and if he will make a statement.

William Hague: I visited Belgrade on 31 August this year for meetings with my Serbian counterpart, Mr Vuk Jeremic, and the Serbian President, Mr Boris Tadic. I subsequently met Mr Jeremic in New York in September during the UN General Assembly Ministerial Week.
	On both occasions I urged Serbia to use the opportunity provided by the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, which stated that Kosovo's declaration of independence was not in violation of international law, to engage in a constructive dialogue with Kosovo, facilitated by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
	The Government warmly welcome the subsequent decision of the Serbian Government to engage in the dialogue process. The Government firmly believe that such a dialogue, which focuses on issues of practical concern, leaving aside the question of Kosovo status, is the surest way of achieving stability in the region.

WALES

Internet: Public Expenditure

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the cost to the public purse was of the most recent upgrade to her Department's website.

David Jones: The Wales Office spent £4,441.50 on the recent upgrade of its websites. This included recommended work on a security upgrade, an improved system for simpler administration and more cost-effective maintenance in the future. It is the first upgrade of the sites since the redesign of 2007, which cost £10,500.

Passport Agency: Employment

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on Passport Agency employment in Wales; and if she will make a statement.

Cheryl Gillan: I had a brief discussion with the relevant Home Office Minister on 5 October who agreed to meet me the following week to further discuss issues relating to the Identity and Passport Service in Newport.
	Following details of the consultation being leaked to the media on 8 October I met the Home Secretary that evening and discussed the issue. I subsequently met the chief executive of the Identity and Passport Service and the Immigration Minister on 12 October and will continue to have further relevant meetings and discussions during the consultation period.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Dental Services

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total annual cost to the public purse is of dental care provision for the armed forces under each budgetary heading.

Andrew Robathan: In financial year 2009-10, £62.316 million was attributed to public funds for the provision of dental care to the armed forces. This sum is broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Defence dental services, financial year 2009-10 
			   £ million 
			  Manpower  
			 Service pay 46.917 
			 Service allowances 1.339 
			 Civilian pay 9.035 
			 Total manpower 57.291 
			   
			  Non-manpower  
			 IT and communications 0.036 
			 Inventory/stock consumed 3.380 
			 Equipment support 0.040 
			 Training 0.029 
			 Medical-health services 0.730 
			 Admin, PR, welfare and medical support equipment 0.154 
			 Fees for professional services 0.053 
			 Travel and subsistence 0.226 
			 Transportation allowances 0.652 
			 Other costs 0.026 
			 Receipts -0.301 
			 Total non-manpower 5.025 
			   
			 Total 62.316

Ex-servicemen: Prisoners

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to reduce the number of ex-service personnel entering the prison system.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the joint statement I made with my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Justice in the House on 15 September 2010,  Official Report, column 40WS, which indicated that 3.5% of the current prison population in England and Wales are ex-service personnel, with only 6% of these having started their current sentence within a year of being discharged from the armed forces.
	Although the figures are low, our aim is to reduce them further, and work continues on analysing the ex-service prison population in terms of demographic and service in order to allow us to make informed policy decisions.
	The principal contribution the Ministry of Defence (MOD) can make in reducing the potential to offend is by making personnel aware of the opportunities available to them on leaving service, in the form of resettlement programmes as part of their general preparation for transition. Furthermore, all service leavers, including those who leave early, are entitled to lifetime support from the Regular Forces Employment Association and Officers' Association charities, both of which are specifically focused on getting veterans into the right job.
	Where former service personnel have entered the prison system, the Ex-Service Offenders Working Group (formerly known as the Veterans Prison In-Reach Working Group) which officials in the MOD chair, brings together charitable and voluntary sector organisations, the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency of the MOD, the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) of the Ministry of Justice, prison frontline staff, representatives from the devolved Administrations and a representative from the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health. Together, this group aims to provide a common and collaborative approach to the issue of ex-service personnel in the criminal justice system, and works to raise awareness amongst the ex-service prison population of the help and support available to them and their families while they serve their sentence and as they prepare for release. This is to ensure a common and collaborative approach to former personnel in prison in order to minimise the risk of reoffending amongst this community.

SCOTLAND

Elections: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the Interim Electoral Management Board for Scotland and the appointment of its convenor.

Michael Moore: The appointment of the Convenor of the Interim Electoral Management Board is a matter for the Board and the Scottish Government has not asked to speak to me about this.

Elections: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce legislative proposals to put the Interim Electoral Management Board for Scotland on a statutory basis in relation to elections which are the responsibility of the UK Government.

Michael Moore: I plan to devolve my responsibility for the administration of the Scottish Parliament elections to the Scottish Government in accordance with the recommendations of the Caiman Commission. It will be then for the Scottish Government to decide whether they wish to put the Interim Electoral Management Board on a statutory basis for that election. I do not have ministerial responsibility for other UK elections.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will have discussions with the Scottish Executive on the future operation of the Equality and Human Rights Commission in Scotland.

Michael Moore: I have not been approached by the Scottish Government to hold discussions on this issue.
	I met with Kaliani Lyle, Scotland Commissioner of the Equality and Human Rights Commission on 14 July 2010. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is one of the bodies covered by the Government's review of Public Bodies, on which the Minister for the Cabinet Office made an announcement on 14 October 2010. The review proposed that the Commission should be retained but with a better focus on its core functions as an equality regulator and National Human Rights Institution. Discussions between the Government Equalities Office and the Scottish Government on the future work of the Equality and Human Rights Commission are ongoing.

TRANSPORT

Bicycles

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to take steps to increase the level of integration of cycling with other modes of public transport; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: This coalition Government are firmly committed to sustainable travel initiatives, including cycling and walking. That is why it is expressly referred to in the coalition agreement. We also want to give more power and more flexibility to local authorities as we strongly believe that they know best what is right for their communities.
	On 22 September I announced a new 'Local Sustainable Transport Fund', a bid-based fund that will challenge local transport authorities outside London to develop packages of measures that support economic growth and reduce carbon in their communities as well as delivering cleaner environments, improved safety and increased levels of physical activity.
	I anticipate that this will include sustainable travel measures, including walking and cycling, and initiatives to improve integration between travel modes and end-to-end journey experiences, better public transport and improved traffic management schemes. It could well include measures that support integration of cycling with other modes such as bike and rail and help fund initiatives like the Leeds Cyclepoint which I recently opened. This new facility is modelled on stations in the Netherlands and provides secure cycle storage for around 300 cycles, a small shop, workshop and staff facilities.
	More details will be announced after the spending review.

Bus Services: Concessions

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many residents of City of Chester constituency hold a free concessionary bus pass; and how many such residents are higher rate taxpayers.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport is not responsible for issuing passes and so does not maintain records of how many passes individual authorities have issued.
	According to Office for National Statistics figures, taken at the mid-point of 2007, in the City of Chester constituency there were 21,266 people of eligible age for a concessionary bus pass. The Department for Transport does not hold any figures for the number of people eligible for concessionary travel by virtue of their disability. Information about how many higher rate taxpayers hold free concessionary bus passes in the City of Chester constituency is not available.

Concessions

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that the revenue of district councils is not reduced by more than the cost of their concessionary travel schemes as a result of the implementation of his proposals to change the funding route for his Department's concessionary travel scheme.

Norman Baker: The Departments for Transport, Communities and Local Government held a consultation, which closed 6 October, on the distribution of formula grant to local authorities in England. The consultation covered proposals for how the transfer of responsibility for concessionary travel from lower to upper tier local authorities to will be taken into account in authorities' funding allocations from 2011-12.
	The total amount of funding to be allocated to all local authorities will be decided as part of the spending review.

M18: Repairs and Maintenance

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the M18 motorway north of Doncaster to be free of lane closures and temporary speed limits; what steps are being taken to expedite the current roadworks; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: There are five schemes being undertaken on the M18 between junctions 2 and 5 which will continue until the end of March 2011. This includes four schemes to replace steel central reserve barrier, which are approaching the end of their design life, with new concrete central reserve barrier. The fifth scheme comprises works to improve the interchange between the M18 and A1 (M) through the provision of traffic signals.
	The programmes for the five schemes have been carefully co-ordinated to minimise the overall duration of the work. Lane restrictions are limited to night time only in order to minimise disruption to the road user. However, a 50 mph speed restriction remains in place at all times for the safety of the travelling public.
	The benefits of the barrier work are improved safety as a result of the reduced likelihood of crossover type accidents, fewer repairs arising from collision damage and reduced future maintenance requirements. The improvements at the junction of the M18 and A1 (M) will improve reliability and safety by reducing delays at the junction.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 6 September 2010,  Official Report, column 183W, on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, on how many occasions he has met the chief executive of that body since his appointment.

Michael Penning: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Transport, has met Sir Alan Massey, the chief executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) since 20 July 2010, on one occasion.
	Since my appointment I have met Richard Parkes, the interim chief executive of the MCA until 20 July 2010, five times and the new chief executive, four times.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents attended by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have involved sky lanterns in the last 12 months; and on how many such occasions a  (a) lifeboat and  (b) helicopter was requested.

Michael Penning: From 1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010 the Maritime and Coastguard Agency responded to 128 false alerts, which Her Majesty's Coastguard attributed to, or believed were caused by, sky lanterns. The majority of the 128 incidents were dealt with by volunteer Coastguard Rescue Teams in their communities. Lifeboats were tasked on 26 occasions, and on two occasions a helicopter was tasked.

Motor Vehicles: Foreign Nationals

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce a mechanism to ensure that drivers of foreign registered vehicles in the UK contribute towards road maintenance costs.

Michael Penning: As stated in the Coalition programme for Government, we are working towards the introduction of a new system of HGV road user charging to ensure that foreign heavy goods vehicles contribute to the upkeep of UK roads that they use and to ensure a fairer arrangement for UK hauliers.
	The Secretary of State has ruled out national road pricing for cars on existing roads for the lifetime of this Parliament.

Railways: Fares

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department takes to regulate the level of rail fare increases.

Theresa Villiers: Regulated rail fare increases are managed through provisions in the franchise agreements entered into between the Government and train operating companies. The current formula is RPI+1% with the exception of certain fares in south eastern and west Yorkshire which are currently regulated at RPI+3%.
	Fares increases are regulated for commuter fares around London and other big cities; weekly season tickets and long-distance off-peak return tickets (formerly known as saver return tickets). For other tickets, train operators can set their own ticket prices according to market demand.

Regional Transport Boards

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the future of regional transport boards; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: In line with the localism agenda it is for local areas to decide what structures will best assist the delivery of transport solutions in the context of emerging sub-national governance arrangements.

Roads: Accidents

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2010,  Official Report, column 589W, on roads: accidents, when he expects to bring forward proposals on road casualty reduction; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The coalition Government are finalising their priorities for road safety and will make an announcement by the end of the calendar year about the future direction of road safety policy.

Roads: Deaths

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) deaths and  (b) serious injuries have occurred on roads in Dartford constituency in each of the last five years.

Michael Penning: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Reported fatalities and serious injuries in road accidents in Dartford constituency( 1) : 2005-09 
			   Year of accident 
			  Casualty severity:  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Killed 7 6 8 2 5 
			 Seriously injured 51 44 54 45 34 
			 (1) Based on 2010 constituency boundary.

Shipping: Inspections

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many non UK-registered merchant ships have been detained by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency as a result of UK Port State Inspections in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The number of non UK-registered merchant ships detained by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in each of the last three years is as follows.
	
		
			   Number of ships 
			 2007 87 
			 2008 68 
			 2009 62 
			 January to September 2010 45

Shipping: Pollution

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Counter Pollution and Response Branch last reviewed the strategic location of pollution response equipment.

Michael Penning: The UK counter pollution stockpile of response equipment is maintained under a commercial contract. Following a review of this contract, in the second-half of 2009, a new contract was let in the first quarter of 2010.
	This resulted in changed strategic locations of the equipment from Milford Haven, Liverpool and Perth, to Bristol, Barnsley and Dundee.

Thameslink

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the order for new trains for the Thameslink route to be placed.

Theresa Villiers: Any decision to place an order for new trains for the Thameslink route is subject to the outcome of the Government's spending review.

Thameslink

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the number of additional posts for train drivers to be created as a result of the Thameslink programme.

Theresa Villiers: Any decision to proceed with the Thameslink programme is subject to the outcome of the Government's Spending Review.
	Furthermore, the detailed timetable to be operated should the Thameslink programme be fully implemented has not yet been finalised. Consequently, I am not currently in a position to estimate the numbers of additional posts for train drivers that will be required at this time.

Thameslink

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many construction workers are employed on the Thameslink programme; and how many construction posts are expected to be  (a) created during and  (b) sustained throughout the remaining phases of the programme.

Theresa Villiers: The Thameslink programme is currently employing approximately 2,600 construction workers and is also supporting a further significant number through the supply chain.
	Decisions on progressing future stages of the Thameslink programme are dependant on the outcome of the Spending Review.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Civil Partnerships

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities if she will assess the likely level of take-up of provision in legislation for civil partnerships for heterosexual couples.

Lynne Featherstone: There have not been any assessments on the likely take up by heterosexual couples seeking a civil partnership, were it to be provided for in legislation.
	The Civil Partnership Act 2004 was designed to give same-sex relationships parity of treatment with civil marriage. To enter into a civil partnership, two people must be of the same sex.

Civil Partnerships: Marriage

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities if she will assess the likely level of take-up of provision in legislation for same-sex marriage.

Lynne Featherstone: There have not been any assessments of the likely take up of same-sex marriage, were it to be provided for in legislation.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Aarhus Convention

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what timetable she has set for the implementation of the provisions of Article 9 of the Aarhus Convention.

Richard Benyon: The UK has implemented article 9 of the Aarhus convention. In addition, we intend to consolidate the case law on protective costs orders; and we are preparing draft rules for consideration by the Civil Procedure Rule Committee, which are expected to be implemented by April 2011 at the latest.

Agriculture: Litter

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the financial loss to farmers arising from  (a) damage to crops,  (b) damage to farm equipment and  (c) injury or death of livestock attributable to the uncontrolled flight of Chinese lanterns in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Paice: We have anecdotal evidence of the damage caused by Chinese lanterns but this is insufficient to make any estimates of losses incurred. We have met with the Farming Unions and others in order to begin to build an evidence base of the problems caused.
	DEFRA and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) are aware of concerns about the damage caused by Chinese lanterns and are looking into possible actions to reduce the risks posed. BIS will also be working with local authority trading standards to encourage importers to improve the safety of these products and to make them fully biodegradable.

Bees: Diseases

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated research into colony collapse disorder.

James Paice: Colony collapse disorder is the term given to the abnormally high colony losses occurring in the USA, usually characterized by sudden disappearance of bees. This characteristic has not been observed in the UK, although there have been some significant bee losses. The Food and Environment Research Agency's (Fera's) National Bee Unit has investigated the causes of colony losses in England and Wales and the key results are available on its BeeBase website.
	The results have shown that the most important risk factor in the mortality or weakening of colonies is deformed wing virus, a virus transmitted by the parasitic varroa mite, clearly indicating failed or unsuccessful treatments of mite infestations. This highlights the importance of improving bee husbandry standards, which is a key objective of the Healthy Bees Plan, currently being delivered in partnership by Fera, the Welsh Assembly Government and others such as the Bee Farmers' Association, NFU, British Beekeepers' Association and the Welsh Beekeepers' Association.

Clothing: Sustainable Development

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to implement its Sustainable Clothing Action Plan.

James Paice: The Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP) contains agreed actions by government and others to improve the sustainability of clothing. Although DEFRA has some, most of the actions belong to businesses and other organisations along the clothing supply chain.
	As actions in the SCAP are completed, organisations have agreed to disseminate the lessons learned and best practice to the wider clothing sector. DEFRA will publish a progress report in early 2011.

Dairy Farming

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to ensure that future proposals for intensive dairy farming in the UK  (a) are examined by her Department,  (b) take account of the views of local residents and  (c) do not affect adversely the natural environment.

James Paice: In the assessment of planning applications for agriculture development proposals, it is a matter for the relevant planning authority to take account of the views of local residents.
	DEFRA already has comprehensive animal welfare and environment legislation which applies to all livestock farming whatever the system and regardless of size.

Dairy Farming: Animal Welfare

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the health and welfare standards for large scale dairy enterprises in which cows are housed indoors all year round.

James Paice: All dairy cattle, in whatever system they are kept, are protected by comprehensive animal welfare legislation. In England, the welfare of cattle is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal. The Act also contains a duty of care to animals, this means that anyone responsible for an animal must take reasonable steps to make sure the animal's needs are met. These general requirements are supplemented by more detailed ones in the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 for calves and cattle, covering areas such as accommodation, tethering, inspection, feed and water.
	It is important to recognise that poor welfare may occur in both intensive and extensive systems. The most significant influence on the welfare of livestock is the stock-keeper, not the system in which it is reared.
	DEFRA is currently funding a three year project by the Scottish Agricultural College which is investigating the management and welfare of continuously housed cows. It will compare the health of cows in continuously housed systems with those in summer grazing systems, by using culling and fertility data. Work on this research is at an early stage, and is due to be completed at the end of June 2011.

Dangerous Dogs

Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals to amend legislation regarding dangerous dogs.

James Paice: The recent public consultation exercise on dangerous dogs legislation received 4,250 responses. My ministerial colleague Lord Henley is currently considering the responses and we expect to make an announcement on our proposed way forward later in the autumn.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has made an estimate of the change in the level of carbon dioxide emissions from her Department since May 2010; and what steps she plans to take to meet her Department's target of reducing such emissions by 10 per cent. by May 2011.

Richard Benyon: During the first four months since May 2010, DEFRA emitted 29% less carbon dioxide from its office estate (Core DEFRA and its Executive agencies) than the same period the previous year.
	The Department has initiated a number of measures to ensure it meet the 10% carbon emissions target. These include: installation and upgrade of building equipment to high efficiency technologies; improved management of building controls; introduction of a 19°C winter temperature set point in offices; and a Department wide staff awareness campaign.
	This performance information and more details on DEFRA's activities to deliver this target can be found at:
	http://data.gov.uk/departmental-performance-co2-emissions-reduction-date

Departmental Work Experience

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many interns her Department has engaged in the last 12 months; and how many were  (a) unpaid,  (b) remunerated with expenses only and  (c) paid a salary.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has engaged 30 interns in the 12-month period up to October 2010 under two separate Government schemes. All interns worked on short projects within Core DEFRA lasting eight to 12 weeks and received payment for their work.
	We do not have data for how many interns the agencies have engaged or data on unpaid interns and to gather this data would be a disproportionate cost.

Domestic Waste: Recycling

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of households in England are provided with a collection of at least two types of recyclable waste separately from non-recyclable waste; and what estimate she has made of the likely number of such households after 31 December 2010;
	(2)  what steps her Department intends to take to ensure compliance by local authorities with the provisions of the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003 after 31 December 2010;
	(3)  how many and what proportion of households in England are not provided with a collection of at least two types of recyclable waste separately from non-recyclable waste on the grounds of  (a) cost and  (b) the provision of comparable arrangements; and what estimate she has made of the likely number of households in each such case after 31 December 2010.

Richard Benyon: According to the Waste and Resources Action programme's (WRAP's) data, 94% of households in England were provided with a collection of at least two materials in 2008-09. WRAP is in the process of collating data for 2009-10.
	Neither DEFRA nor WRAP holds data on the reasons why households are or are not provided with a collection of at least two recyclables.
	The Government believes that local authorities are best placed to make decisions on the efficient use of local resources and are answerable to their local customers on how they comply with the legislation.

Farm Animal Welfare Council

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the net effect of abolishing the Farm Animal Welfare Council on her Department's expenditure in 2011-12.

James Paice: Further to the announcement on the Government's review of arms length bodies made by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude) on 14 October, the Farm Animal Welfare Council will be reconstituted as an Expert Committee to the department. In this capacity, the new committee will provide independent, authoritative and cost effective advice to DEFRA and Departments in the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales.
	The 2011-12 budget for the new committee has not been agreed and will be fixed in the light of the Government's spending review.

Farm Animal Welfare Council

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the statement of 14 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 505-06, on public bodies reform, who will determine the composition of the committee of experts of the Farm Animal Welfare Council.

James Paice: Further to the announcement on the Government's review of arm's length bodies made by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude) on 14 October,  Official Report, columns 505-06, the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) will be reconstituted as an Expert Committee to the department. In this capacity, the new Committee will provide independent, authoritative and cost-effective advice to DEFRA and Departments in the devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales.
	Existing members of the FAWC will be given the opportunity to consider whether they are willing to serve on the new Committee. Those willing to serve will transfer to the new Committee. New Expert Committee appointments will be public appointments made administratively by the DEFRA Senior Responsible Owner on behalf of Ministers.

Food: Imports

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward proposals to regulate the importation of soya animal feed derived from cleared rainforest.

James Paice: The Government have no plans to bring forward proposals to regulate the importation of soy animal feed derived from cleared rainforest. The importation of soy for animal feed is one of a matrix of policy issues associated with the sustainability of the livestock sector, and the Government need to take a holistic view and base policy decisions on a science-based understanding of alternatives. To that end, the Government have commissioned research into replacements for soy due that is due to report in 2012.
	We would also be concerned that any move to regulate in this area would fall foul of international trade rules and could jeopardise the UK's and EU's negotiating stance in future World Trade Organization discussions.

Food: Labelling

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward proposals to ensure that food labelling includes information on the use of halal meat.

James Paice: The European Parliament has suggested an amendment to the proposed EU Food Information Regulations to require food labels to indicate whether an animal has been stunned before slaughter.
	I appreciate that this is an issue which people feel strongly about and we will be working with interested groups to find a way to address their concerns. People should know what they are buying in shops or when they are eating out, and I will be discussing with the food industry whether labelling and point of sale information can play a greater role in giving consumers a choice.

Insurance: Statement of Principles

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the insurance industry on renewing the Statement of Principles in 2013.

Richard Benyon: A flood summit was held on 16 September 2010 where I met with key representatives from the insurance industry, the National Flood Forum, the Environment Agency and local government, amongst others.
	Participants discussed the current availability and affordability of flood insurance and agreed on a roadmap towards 2013, when the current Statement of Principles between the Government and insurers expires.

Kosher Meat: EU Law

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make an assessment of the effects on the market for kosher meat of EU regulations on labelling kosher meat; and if she will make a statement. [R]

James Paice: There are currently no specific EU regulations on labelling kosher meat. However, in the context of proposals for an EU Food Information Regulation, the European Parliament has suggested an amendment to require food labels to indicate whether an animal has been stunned before slaughter. I will be meeting with members of the Jewish community in early November to hear their concerns about the European Parliament proposal.

Slaughterhouses: Religious Practice

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate she has made of the number of  (a) slaughterhouses and  (b) slaughterhouses practising halal slaughter.

James Paice: There are currently 346 approved slaughterhouses operating in Great Britain. There is no separate approval of Halal slaughterhouses and consequently we do not know the number of slaughterhouses practising Halal.

Sustainable Development

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 7 September 2010,  Official Report, columns 425-26W, on the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC), which  (a) organisations and  (b) commentators she expects to fulfil the Sustainable Development Commission's watchdog function; what criteria Ministers will use to decide the data appropriate to provide to such organisations and commentators to scrutinise Government policy and actions on sustainable development; from which organisations her Department and other departments plans to procure sustainable development expertise; whether her Department will receive any additional resources to build its internal capability to champion sustainable development in policymaking across Government; and what assessment she made of the manner in which her Department will assume the SDC's capacity building function prior to the decision to abolish the SDC.

James Paice: The Government expect that Parliament will play a major role in holding it to account on sustainable development. In addition, there are a range of other organisations and commentators with experience and expertise in sustainable development who will scrutinise and comment on our performance. These include national level non-governmental organisations (NGOs), academic institutions and business groups, as well as international organisations such as the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
	DEFRA is reviewing its sustainability commitments and we will make sure we are transparent to Parliament and the public. We have released a draft Departmental Structural Reform Plan and publish monthly updates on its delivery. We are also looking at how we will measure progress using a set of indicators. On operations, we are already publishing real time energy data from departmental headquarters.
	On procurement, the nature of any sustainable development work we might commission will determine which organisations will have the capability to deliver-but we would expect these to include, among others, research councils, academic institutions and NGOs.
	The future resource for championing sustainable development will be agreed as part of the process to determine the overall priorities for the Department's budget, which is currently under discussion as part of the spending review.
	In line with the Secretary of State's commitment to mainstream sustainable development across Government, DEFRA is reviewing what capacity building function will be required. DEFRA expects to concentrate its efforts on influencing core policymaking processes, such as ensuring that impact assessments are undertaken effectively and that sustainable development is fully embedded into HM Treasury's Green Book and central reporting processes.

Sustainable Development Commission

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the functions of the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) continue to be undertaken after the closure of the SDC.

James Paice: The Sustainable Development Commission's four functions are to be a watchdog, policy advisory, capacity-building and advocacy.
	We believe that there are already many organisations and commentators who will continue to hold the Government to account and thus that a dedicated watchdog body is unnecessary. Ministers are accountable to Parliament for the carrying out of their duties. We will continue to publish the necessary data for such scrutiny.
	Where the expertise does not already exist internally, DEFRA and other Departments commission additional expert advice from a range of organisations, of which the Commission is one. In the future, where necessary, we expect policy teams to continue to do this through the usual procurement process.
	DEFRA leads across Government on sustainable development. We are considering how best to address capacity-building taking account of the Government's priorities.
	DEFRA will continue to champion and advocate sustainable development in policymaking across Government. We will build our internal capability and seek to work with the many external organisations already working within this field and who can support us.

Tobacco

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had at EU level on the level of EU subsidy for tobacco production.

James Paice: Agreement was reached at the Council of Ministers in April 2004 on the reform of the EU tobacco regime. The reforms introduced decoupling into the tobacco sector, which means that the direct link between production and support is broken and the last direct subsidies of EU tobacco production are payable in 2010. Consequently it has not been necessary for Ministers to have further discussions on tobacco subsidy at EU level.

Wines

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had at EU level on the extent of EU wine reserves.

James Paice: No discussions have been held on the extent of EU wine reserves.
	The UK welcomed the removal, as part of the 2008 Wine Reform negotiations, of subsidies previously offered by the EU to producers to store wine in bulk prior to bottling, sale or destruction. The holding of stocks of wine for purposes such as improving its marketability through aging, or prior to supply is a commercial matter.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour

Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward proposals to amend the definition in legislation of antisocial behaviour in order to ensure more effective use of police time.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 18 October 2010
	 The definition of antisocial behaviour (ASB) was established in the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act, but much of what is described as ASB is actually crime, and the public expect it to be dealt with properly. On 28 July, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced a review of ASB tools and powers to ensure that, in future, the police and their partners at local level have a simpler toolkit that is less bureaucratic and provides a real deterrent. We will bring forward our proposals in due course.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) officials of her Department and  (b) external advisers are working on her Department's review of antisocial behaviour orders.

James Brokenshire: On 28 July, the Home Secretary announced a review of the tools and powers available to the police and other agencies to tackle antisocial behaviour, including antisocial behaviour orders. The review is being conducted by seven Home Office officials, amongst other duties. No external advisers have been employed, but officials are working closely with colleagues from other government departments and a range of front line professionals.

Antisocial Behaviour: West Midlands

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been  (a) made and  (b) breached in respect of those resident in Wolverhampton South West constituency in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: The latest available data on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued and breached covers the period 1 April 1999 to 31 December 2008. Data collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the number of ASBOs issued and breached are not available below Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level.

Crime Rate: Thames Valley Police

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the crime detection rate was  (a) nationally and  (b) in each basic command unit of Thames Valley Police in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: The information requested is given in the table.
	
		
			  Detection rates for basic command units in Thames Valley and England and Wales: 2009-10 
			  Percentage 
			  Area  Total detection rate  Sanction detection rate 
			 Berkshire East 19 18 
			 Berkshire West 18 18 
			 Buckinghamshire 18 17 
			 Milton Keynes 25 24 
			 Oxfordshire 22 21 
			
			 England and Wales 28 28 
		
	
	Detection rates are a ratio of crimes detected in a period to crimes recorded in a period. They are not based on tracking whether individual crimes recorded in a given period have eventually been detected.
	From 1 April 2007 the rules governing recording of non-sanction detections were revised to reduce the scope within which they can be claimed to a very small limited set of circumstances. This has significantly reduced the number of non-sanction detections which has been reflected in the overall detection rates.

Departmental Manpower

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) officials of her Department and  (b) external advisers are working on her Department's new strategy to tackle drug misuse.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 13 October 2010
	The development of the new drug strategy is being led by the Drug Strategy Unit within the Home Office. A core group of 12 members of staff are working on the development of the new strategy. Other areas of the Home Office and other Government Departments are also involved in contributing to what is fundamentally a cross-departmental strategy. No external advisers are working for the department on the development of the new strategy.

Departmental Manpower

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) officials of her Department and  (b) external advisers are working on her Department's review of changes to UK licensing laws.

James Brokenshire: The review is being led by the Alcohol Strategy Unit within the Home Office. Various officials within the unit are working on the review of the Licensing Act, alongside other policy tasks. Officials from other Government Departments such as Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department of Health and Business Innovation and Skills are also assisting on the review. No external advisers are working on this review.

Equalities Act 2010

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of claims against employers made by employees on grounds introduced by the Equalities Act 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government's estimates of the number of claims against employers made by employees on grounds introduced by the Equality Act 2010 are set out in the impact assessment for the Act which was published in April 2010 and is available from the Government Equalities Office website.

Female Genital Mutilation

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many cases of female genital mutilation have been reported to UK police in each year since 2003;
	(2)  what estimate her Department has made of the number of girls resident in the UK who have been taken overseas to undergo female genital mutilation in each of the last three years.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 18 October 2010
	There is currently no national database which records the number of female genital mutilation (FGM) cases reported in the UK. However, Project Azure, a specialist unit within the Metropolitan Police, has been flagging FGM incidents since 2006, during which time they have recorded 166 possible cases of FGM.
	Research suggests a number of barriers to reporting incidents of FGM including the age and understanding of the victim and pressure from the family or wider community.
	No estimate has been made of the number of girls taken overseas to undergo FGM. In summer 2010, Project Azure ran a campaign to raise awareness of FGM with families travelling back to practicing countries. Officers operated in Terminal 4, Heathrow airport, in plain clothes with a view to identifying proactively those girls who may have been at risk of being taken out of the UK for FGM. The initiative also sought to raise awareness with those communities about the implications of FGM. Findings from this initiative are currently being assessed and will determine any follow-up enquiries with girls identified as being at risk of FGM.

Firearms

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2010,  Official Report, column 199W, on firearms, if she will ask the National Ballistics Intelligence Service to extend its research into the acquisition and use of shotguns by criminals to cover handguns.

James Brokenshire: The National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS) prepares and delivers a range of problem profiles and intelligence assessments to UK law enforcement organisations. The subjects covered by these problem profiles and assessments are informed by the Service's ongoing work to identify emerging threats and trends related to the criminal use of firearms.
	In 2009-10, provisional data on firearm offences recorded by the police indicate that just under half of all firearm offences involved handguns. Therefore it is already the case that a significant proportion of the research and other work of NABIS is focused on the criminal use and acquisition of handguns.

Firearms: Arrests

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests there were in connection with firearms in Dartford constituency in the last three years; and how many such arrests resulted in convictions for which a prison sentence of five years or more was imposed.

James Brokenshire: The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and robbery.
	It is not possible to separately identify which arrests under these offence categories were firearms related.
	Information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty, sentenced to immediate custody of which five years or more was imposed and total sentenced for firearms offences in Kent police force area and England and Wales, provided by the Ministry of Justice, is provided in the table.
	Data broken down to Dartford constituency area are not available.
	Data on court sentencing in 2009 are planned for publication on 21 October 2010.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty at all courts, and sentenced to immediate custody, of which more than five years, for firearms offences( 1)  in the Kent police force area and England and Wales, 2006 to 2008( 2, 3, 4) 
			   2006  2007  2008 
			  Kent police force area
			 Proceeded against 55 61 79 
			 Found guilty 44 50 61 
			 Sentenced 46 52 60 
			 Immediate custody 18 16 23 
			  of which:
			 More than five years 3 3 2 
			 
			  England and Wales
			 Proceeded against 2,679 2,696 2,481 
			 Found guilty 2,023 2,113 2,050 
			 Sentenced 2,033 2,122 2,054 
			 Immediate custody 756 767 918 
			  of which:
			 More than five years 121 132 186 
			 (1) Includes the following: Possession of firearms. Firearm certificate related offences, and Miscellaneous firearms offences. (2) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) The sentenced column may exceed those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty, and committed for sentence at the Crown court, may be sentenced in the following year.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services in the Ministry of Justice.

Firearms: Children

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children aged  (a) 10,  (b) 11,  (c) 12,  (d) 13,  (e) 14,  (f) 15,  (g) 16 and  (h) 17 have been granted shotgun licences in each authority area in (i) England, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Wales in the most recent year for which figures are available.

James Brokenshire: The provided data are provisional and relate to the number of shotgun certificates held by persons aged under 18 years as at 7 September 2010 within the police force areas covering England and Wales. The information was extracted from the National Firearms Licensing Management System by the National Policing Improvement Agency and is subject to change. Such data are normally used for management and operational information only, and are not subject to the detailed quality checks applied to datasets used for National Statistics publications.
	Shotgun certificates are renewable every five years. Therefore the certificates referred to in the following table will have been issued between 2005 and 2010.
	Data relating to firearm and shotgun certificates issued by police forces in Scotland are submitted to, and published by, the Scottish Government.
	
		
			  Number of shotgun certificates held by under-18s on 7 September 2010 by police force area: England and Wales 
			  Age at last birthday (years) 
			   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  Total 
			 Avon and Somerset 4 1 5 4 19 38 46 72 189 
			 Bedfordshire 0 2 3 1 7 4 11 19 47 
			 Cambridgeshire 2 0 9 17 18 23 44 50 163 
			 Cheshire 0 4 3 3 10 28 20 29 97 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 0 0 0 1 3 2 4 8 18 
			 Cumbria 1 3 5 5 13 25 37 50 139 
			 Derbyshire 0 2 4 4 8 14 25 42 99 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1 5 5 9 31 47 70 126 294 
			 Dorset 0 0 2 3 4 14 29 27 79 
			 Durham 0 1 1 1 5 4 27 21 60 
			 Dyfed Powys 1 0 0 7 11 17 39 43 118 
			 Essex 1 0 10 11 18 55 62 79 236 
			 Gloucestershire 1 0 1 3 7 6 26 23 67 
			 Greater Manchester 1 2 1 0 6 5 12 22 49 
			 Gwent 0 1 0 2 0 5 7 13 28 
			 Hampshire 0 3 2 11 12 27 49 68 172 
			 Hertfordshire 0 1 3 6 5 15 18 23 71 
			 Humberside 0 1 0 0 5 16 27 33 82 
			 Kent 2 2 4 5 18 19 35 62 147 
			 Lancashire 1 10 5 6 22 25 37 47 153 
			 Leicestershire 1 0 2 5 7 15 23 26 79 
			 Lincolnshire 1 2 3 8 10 30 40 46 140 
			 Merseyside 0 0 1 4 0 2 4 7 18 
			 Metropolitan 2 4 2 5 13 20 30 44 120 
			 Norfolk 0 2 7 13 29 41 76 78 246 
			 North Wales 0 0 0 2 6 9 22 21 60 
			 North Yorkshire 1 5 5 11 12 45 54 63 196 
			 Northamptonshire 1 1 5 3 2 13 24 44 93 
			 Northumbria 0 1 4 7 6 11 19 28 76 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 2 3 4 5 9 20 23 66 
			 South Wales 0 1 1 4 5 7 12 20 50 
			 South Yorkshire 1 0 1 2 6 12 27 25 74 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 2 2 9 13 24 30 80 
			 Suffolk 0 5 6 13 30 39 45 60 198 
			 Surrey 0 1 8 7 16 26 37 32 127 
			 Sussex 2 1 8 10 25 31 53 84 214 
			 Thames Valley 0 3 4 14 16 41 51 87 216 
			 Warwickshire 1 1 2 2 5 20 16 34 81 
			 West Mercia 0 2 5 5 14 23 58 95 202 
			 West Midlands 1 3 0 4 5 9 12 19 53 
			 West Yorkshire 0 0 1 3 7 11 23 30 75 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 1 4 11 19 35 57 127 
			 Total 26 72 134 231 461 835 1,330 1,810 4,899 
			  Note: The data are provisional and subject to further quality assurance. They are normally for management and operational information only, and are not subject to the detailed quality checks that apply for National Statistics publications. The data represent the total number of shotgun certificates held on the system, for under 18 year olds, on 7 September 2010.

Freedom of Information Act 2000: Compliance

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to improve its level of compliance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 13 October 2010
	 The Home Office has recognised that its performance in handling Freedom of Information requests must improve. We have taken a number of steps to achieve this, including a full review of the process for handling requests and better monitoring and reporting procedures. These measures have led to an increase in each of the last three months in the proportion of requests answered within the deadline, which we are confident will be sustained.

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will assess the merits of introducing legislative proposals for a right of appeal against seizure and removal of vehicles under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 18 October 2010
	We have no plans to introduce such a right. Section 59 enables the police to seize a vehicle they reasonably believe is being driven both carelessly or inconsiderately on-road or off-road without authority and in a way that causes or is likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance. This power of seizure can only be used in carefully restricted circumstances and following a warning. A vehicle that has been seized must be released immediately on payment of a prescribed sum intended only to cover police costs and this payment is waived if the owner is not personally at fault. When introducing the legislation the then Minister formally declared it compatible with the provisions of the Human Rights Act 1988.
	The remedy for any person who wishes to challenge the police's decision to seize their vehicle is an action in the county court for trespass to goods. It is also open to them, if they believe the police acted in any way improperly, to make a formal complaint against the police.

Offensive Weapons: West Midlands

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences involving  (a) knives and  (b) firearms were recorded in Wolverhampton South West constituency in 2009-10.

James Brokenshire: Data on knife and firearms offences are collected by the Home Office at police force area level. They cannot be broken down to constituency area level.
	In 2009-10, 3,216 offences involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument were recorded by West Midlands police. This figure includes unbroken bottle and unbroken glass offences.
	Prior to April 2010, West Midlands police was one of four police forces that included unbroken bottle and glass offences in their knife and sharp instrument data returns to the Home Office, which are outside the scope of this collection.
	From April 2010, West Midlands have aligned their recording practice with the national definition and now exclude these unbroken bottle and glass offences.
	2009-10 data for police recorded firearms offences will be published in January 2011.

Police: Procurement

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent reviews she has undertaken of efficiencies in police procurement.

Nick Herbert: In Policing in the 21st Century: Reconnecting the police and the people, the Government have made clear that its approach to police value for money will involve ending the practice of procuring things in 43 different ways when it makes no sense to do so either operationally or financially. The Government are considering responses to the consultation paper Obtaining Better Value for Money from Police Procurement which set out proposals for Regulations to mandate the police service to use specified contractual arrangements to purchase particular equipment and services.
	The joint Report from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, the Audit Commission and the Wales Audit Office, Sustaining value for money in the police service, published on 20 July, identified opportunities for the police service to save money through greater efficiency, including better procurement. Sir Philip Green's Efficiency Review, published on 11 October, has also highlighted the potential to save substantial sums through better procurement across Government.

Police: Surveillance

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to review the administrative burden on the police consequent on the requirements of  (a) the Office of Surveillance Commissioners and  (b) the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

James Brokenshire: The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 ('RIPA') requires that public authorities using covert techniques to obtain private information keep detailed records against which they can be independently inspected, any error rectified and suitable redress made. The Home Office continue to liaise with the Office of Surveillance Commissioners and the police to minimise any unnecessary bureaucracy associated with authorisation under RIPA.

Sexual Offences: Convictions

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been  (a) arrested,  (b) charged,  (c) prosecuted and  (d) convicted in respect of offences under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

James Brokenshire: The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts in England and Wales for the years 2004 to 2008 (latest available), for the offence 'controlling prostitution for gain' under section 53 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, can be viewed in the table. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004. Court proceedings data for 2009 will be published on 21 October 2010.
	The above information was provided by the Ministry of Justice. The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally. The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as sexual offences and robbery.
	
		
			  Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty( 1) , ( 2)  at all courts for offences under section 53 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003( 3) , ( 4) , England and Wales, 2004 to 2008 
			  Number 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty( 5) 
			 2004 1 - 
			 2005 12 3 
			 2006 18 11 
			 2007 23 24 
			 2008(6) 24 31 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (3) The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 may 2004.  (4) The following corresponding offence description is used: Controlling prostitution for gain.  
			 (5) The number of defendants found guilty in a particular year may exceed the number proceeded against as the proceedings in the magistrates court took place in an earlier year and the defendants were found guilty at the Crown court in the following year; or the defendants were found guilty of a different offence to that for which they were originally proceeded against.  (6) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.   Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Disclosure of Information: Homicide

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Attorney General what guidance the Crown Prosecution Service issues on disclosure to the families of alleged victims of manslaughter of the content of discussions on possible charges with prosecuting authorities in other EU member states.

Dominic Grieve: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not have specific guidance on this issue.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Benefit

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects of the proposal to withdraw child benefit from households where a parent earns over £44,000 per year on women who look after children full-time and receive national insurance credits towards their state pension through child benefit.

Steve Webb: We are considering the details of the changes announced to child benefit. We will be assessing this in the coming weeks to ensure that no-one misses out on national insurance credits towards their state pension.

Child Benefit

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of women who will receive a reduction in their state pension as a result of the Government's proposed changes to child benefit.

Steve Webb: We are considering the details of the changes announced to child benefit. We will be assessing this in the coming weeks to ensure that no-one misses out on national insurance credits towards their state pension.

Construction: Accidents

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many accidents have been recorded in the construction industry in each year since 2004.

Chris Grayling: Notifications of workplace injuries occurring in Great Britain are made under RIDDOR - the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995. The following table provides the total number of RIDDOR injury notifications in the construction industry for the period 2004-05 to 2008-09.
	
		
			  Employment status  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Workers 12,853 12,916 12,451 12,675 11,368 
			 Members of the public 208 204 198 198 200 
			 Total 13,061 13,120 12,649 12,873 11,568 
			  Notes:  1. The annual basis of RIDDOR recording is the planning year from 1 April to 31 March.  2. The construction industry is identified by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), the system used in UK official statistics for classifying businesses by the type of activity they are engaged in. The version used in these statistics is SIC 2003.

Construction: Public Finance

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the cost of construction industry to the public purse in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Miller: Remploy's grant in aid funding is published each year in Remploy's Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available in Libraries of both Houses. In 2008-09 Remploy received £121.5 million in operational funding and £34 million in modernisation funding.
	Remploy's 2009-10 Annual Report and Accounts will be published in the autumn.

Disability Living Allowance: Medical Examinations

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what assistance will be offered by his Department to those who are found fit for work after a medical assessment for disability living allowance;
	(2)  whether disability living allowance claimants will be allowed to  (a) see the results of their medical assessments and  (b) dispute the results of medical assessments with evidence from a medical practitioner;
	(3)  what criteria other than medical assessments his Department will use to determine eligibility for disability living allowance from 2013-14;
	(4)  whether children under the age of 16 will have to undergo a medical assessment for disability living allowance;
	(5)  whether existing disability living allowance (DLA) claimants will be required to undergo the new medical assessment for DLA;
	(6)  whether those whose disability prevents them from being mobile will be required to undergo the medical assessment for disability living allowance;
	(7)  whether those who are classified as having severe disabilities will be required to undergo the medical assessment for disability living allowance.

Maria Miller: The Chancellor announced in the Emergency Budget that the Government will introduce a new assessment for DLA from 2013-14. It has been determined that the new assessment will be a more accurate, objective and consistent assessment to identify those claimants who would benefit most from additional support. DLA is not linked to the ability to work and is paid to claimants who are both in and out of work.
	Existing working-age claimants will undergo a new assessment. To support the Department in the development of that new assessment, we are consulting with an independent group of specialists comprising of disabled people, relevant health professionals and others with expertise in this area to develop options for a new assessment.
	We will begin a consultation process on the new proposals later this year.

Equality: Public Finance

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to publish equality impact assessments undertaken by his Department as part of the comprehensive spending review; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: Work is under way to carry out equality impact assessments as part of the development of spending review options, and these will be made public in due course.

Industrial Health and Safety

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of the construction industry on health and safety regulation.

Chris Grayling: Since assuming ministerial responsibility for health and safety at work, I have had a meeting covering construction health and safety with members of the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Small Business Trade Association Forum on 22 September.
	HSE officials meet regularly with the construction industry. These contacts include meetings of HSE's Construction Industry Advisory Committee and its working groups and with industry stakeholders on specific issues.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Graduates

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has made a recent estimate of the number of people in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in  (a) Scotland and  (b) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency who graduated from (i) university in 2010 and (ii) a teacher training institution in each of the last three years.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for an estimate of the number of people in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in (a) Scotland and (b) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency who graduated from (i) university in 2010 and (ii) a teacher training institution in each of the last three years. (17130)
	The Office for National Statistics' (ONS) preferred source of statistics for claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) is Jobcentre Plus administrative system. However, this source does not contain data on educational achievement.
	An alternative data source for claimants of JSA is the Annual Population Survey (APS). Whilst the APS does collect data on educational achievement no reliable statistics can be produced for the requested breakdowns due to small sample sizes.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Maternity Pay: Adoption

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received on the extension of maternity pay to adoptive parents; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: I have been asked to reply 
	as statutory adoption pay falls within my portfolio.
	Adopters already benefit from a right to adoption leave and pay. Eligible adopters are entitled to 52 weeks' adoption leave (the same as maternity leave). During adoption leave, eligible adopters will receive 39 weeks' statutory adoption pay, paid at the same standard rate as statutory maternity pay.

Public Bodies

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his plans are for the future of Remploy Ltd.

Maria Miller: Remploy plays an important part in the provision of employment support for severely disabled people. As announced in the review of Public Bodies on 14 October, the status of Remploy Ltd as an NDPB remains under consideration.

Social Security Benefits: Stirling

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals in Stirling constituency receive more than £26,000 a year in benefits, excluding child benefit and disability living allowance.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available at a parliamentary constituency level.
	The information is available for Great Britain. £26,000 a year is equivalent to £500 a week. Latest estimates show that in 2010-11 there are fewer than 25,000 working age households in receipt of more than £500 a week in all benefits and tax credits, excluding disability living allowance and child benefit.
	The Chancellor's announcement of a benefit cap was informed by high-level consideration of the broad impacts when developing the policy. The Government will set out more details on the cap on total welfare that workless families can receive in the spending review.
	All disability living allowance claimants, war widows, and working families claiming the working tax credit will be exempt from the cap. The cap will apply to the combined income from the main income replacement benefits, other means tested benefits, child benefit and child tax credit and other benefits such as carer's allowance and industrial injury disablement benefit.
	 Source:
	DWP Policy Simulation Model, based on the 2008-09 Family Resources Survey data.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Coal-fired Power Stations: Scotland

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Executive on the regulation of carbon dioxide emission rates from coal-fired power stations.

Gregory Barker: The Department is having ongoing constructive dialogue with the Scottish Executive. In addition, we will be working closely with the Scottish Ministers to ensure a complementary approach towards new coal capacity across Great Britain, including taking forward the commitment made in the Coalition's Programme for Government, to establish an emissions performance standard that would prevent coal-fired power stations being built without the provision of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) to enable them to comply with our Emissions Performance Standard (EPS).

Fuel Poverty

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the number and proportion of households in  (a) East Hampshire constituency and  (b) the county of Hampshire which are in fuel poverty.

Gregory Barker: In 2006, the most recent year for which sub-regional figures are available, there were around 3,400 (8%) fuel poor households in the East Hampshire constituency and 56,700 (8%) in the county of Hampshire. The county of Hampshire figures quoted include the unitary authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton, which had around 7,700 and 9,100 fuel poor households respectively in 2006.
	The number of fuel poor households in England in 2006 was 2.4 million. However, DECC recently published statistics which show that there were 3.3 million households in fuel poverty in 2008.

Fuel Poverty: Bexleyheath

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to help reduce fuel poverty in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency.

Gregory Barker: Government are committed to helping those households who are in fuel poverty. We recognise the need to help more of the most vulnerable to keep their homes warm at an affordable cost, and have in place a number of policies and programmes which can help them to do so.
	The Warm Front Scheme provides a range of insulation and heating measures to vulnerable households and provides advice on benefit entitlement. Measures provided include energy efficient heating systems, cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and draught proofing. Since its inception in June 2000, Warm Front has assisted 2,290 households in the Constituency of Bexleyheath and Crayford up to 17 August 2010.
	The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) extension and Super Priority Group, which focuses on vulnerable groups within the existing priority group, will have a positive impact on fuel poverty, with approximately 175,000 households expected to be removed from fuel poverty. Many more will receive measures which will protect them from falling into fuel poverty. CERT is an obligation on energy suppliers to achieve targets for promoting reductions in carbon emissions in the household sector.

Geo-engineering

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's policy is on the use of geo-engineering to combat the effects of climate change; and whether his Department has provided funding for any such activities in the past 12 months.

Gregory Barker: The Department's first priority is to tackle human causes of climate change at source by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and pushing for strong international action to achieve this goal. However, we recognise that geo-engineering might have a role to play at some future stage and research is needed to understand the risks and benefits. Over the past year, the Department has provided a total of £136,228 to fund computer modelling research at the Met Office Hadley Centre to investigate the impacts of injecting aerosols into the stratosphere.

Renewable Energy

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the  (a) annual operating leak rate of fluorocarbons from heat pumps and  (b) percentage of the refrigerant likely to be vented at end-of-life disposal.

Gregory Barker: We have discussed these issues with the industry and with DEFRA who are responsible for F-Gas Support, a business support unit that helps organisations affected by the fluorinated gas (F gas) regulatory regime. We are satisfied that the risk of leakage of fluorocarbons during or at the end of operation of hermetically sealed heat pumps is very small. Typically residual amounts, 1% or 2% of the system volume, might remain after refrigerant removal. This can increase to around 5% to 10% for very large, non-hermetically sealed, industrial heat pumps, where there is more scope of leakage through mechanical joints. Further information on heat pumps will be made available shortly when DEFRA publish a report on HFC consumption and emissions forecasting.

Renewable Energy

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of  (a) the average cost of the installation of air source heat pumps, including the cost of domestic adaptation,  (b) the average assessed service life of an air source heat pump and  (c) the length of time it would take for the installation of an air source heat pump to result in a net saving for a householder.

Gregory Barker: The installation cost of an air source heat pump (ASHP) in the domestic sector depends on the size and characteristics of the property in which the heat pump is installed. Our most recent analysis shows that total ASHP installation costs are usually in the range of £7,000 to £12,000. The costs for large homes could be significantly higher if the heat demand exceeds the capacity of the electrical supply and system reinforcement is required.
	The payback period for ASHPs depends on the fuel which they displace (that is, the counterfactual), usage and the operating efficiency of the equipment. There could be significant differences between installations. Assuming an operating efficiency of 250% to 275% and an installation cost of around £9,000 to £10,000, payback periods could range from eight to 16 years(1) when replacing electric heating. Payback periods are longer when the counterfactual is a less expensive off-grid fuel, such as heating oil and coal. In the case of natural gas, the cheapest heating fuel, the payback may be longer than the expected life of the heat pump. The industry believe the life of a heat pump is at least 20 years but this has yet to be independently verified.
	(1) Payback periods are calculated using illustrative data on costs and heat pump performance and are calculated by dividing the full capital costs of the renewable equipment by the relevant fuel savings.

Renewable Energy

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the potential contribution to global warming of the use of the refrigerants  (a) R404A,  (b) R407C,  (c) R410A and (d) R134a in heat pumps.

Gregory Barker: Refrigerants are very powerful greenhouse gases. Compared to carbon dioxide, which has a global warming potential (GWP) of 1, the GWP of the following refrigerant gases are as follows:
	
		
			   GWP 
			 R404A 3,800 
			 R407C 1,525 
			 R410A 1,725 
			 R134A 1,300 
		
	
	However, in my answer given to question 17765, I explained that we are satisfied the risk of any significant refrigerant leakage from heat pumps is negligible. Their contribution to global warming is therefore proportionately small. The energy and carbon benefits from a well designed heat pump will almost entirely outweigh any impact from small releases of F gas. Nonetheless, given the global warming potential of R404A, we would expect heat pump manufacturers to avoid using this particular gas wherever possible.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of making eligible for the proposed higher rate feed-in tariff those who installed microgeneration equipment under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme before 15 July 2009.

Gregory Barker: The potential additional costs of extending Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) to sub-50 kW installations prior to 15 July 2009 was the key consideration in our review of the FITs scheme as it relates to early adopters of small-scale, low-carbon electricity generating technology.
	The Department estimated that allowing all(1) existing generators to claim FITs at full rate, without repaying grants would represent a discounted cost in the order of £55.9 million to 2020 and an annual cost in 2020 of £4.25 million(2). In addition to these costs there would be additional administrative costs to DECC, Ofgem and suppliers. In practice, these administrative costs would have increased, had such a policy also included a requirement to repay some or all of any grant.
	Extending FITs to existing installations would increase the costs of the scheme, without encouraging additional installations, which is the primary objective of the FITs scheme. We do not think that this represents value for money and cannot therefore justify the additional cost to consumers, who ultimately pay for the scheme. Therefore, after careful consideration, we decided that the scheme as it relates to early adopters should remain unchanged.
	(1) These figures are based on estimated numbers of sub-50kW installations prior to 15 July 2009 that received grants from the following programmes: Clear Skies, LCBP1, LCBP2 and the Major PV Demo Programme.
	(2) Costs are presented in 2009 prices, discounted. Costs are net FITs subsidy costs, i.e. net of the value of exports to suppliers. Admin costs of administering a higher number of FIT installations have not been included here. Costs assume that existing generators would be paid FITs for the full installation lifetime. Cost estimations should be caveated, as we do not know the precise number of existing generators and which technologies/scales they have invested in.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Broadband

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the contribution of the implementation of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 (Directions to OFCOM) Order 2010 to his Department's objectives on broadband; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: I have been asked to reply 
	in my capacity as a Minister in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Implementing this Order would result in Ofcom taking action to implement the EU's revised GSM Directive and Radio Spectrum Committee decision that liberalises the 900 and 1800 MHz spectrum to enable 3G services to be rolled out in that spectrum. The action to convert existing 3G licences to an indefinite period will also provide certainty to the current mobile operators to enable them to invest further in developing their 3G networks. Finally, the release of new spectrum through a combined auction of 800 MHz and 2600 MHz will further assist the transition to next generation superfast broadband. All of these actions will be important steps in our objective of developing the UK's broadband networks.

Departmental Equality

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to publish equality impact assessments undertaken by his Department as part of the comprehensive spending review; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Hunt: My Department will publish a statement on 21 October on how fairness and equality have been considered during the comprehensive spending review.
	We will continue to undertake and publish formal equality impact assessments for new or significantly changing areas of policy as they emerge.

Digital Broadcasting

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he plans to require broadcasters to increase to 20% the proportion of their programming which has audio description; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The Government have no plans to increase the statutory 10% target for audio description at this time. Following careful consideration of Ofcom's recent review of TV Access Services in the UK and the voluntary commitments made by a number of major broadcasters to audio describe 20% of their programming we have concluded that further regulation is not required at this time. We have asked Ofcom to continue to monitor levels of audio description provision and asked them to report to Government if the average level falls below the current levels. We will then consider whether to review the targets, or invite Ofcom to review and make recommendations.

Digital Broadcasting

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will commission research to assess  (a) the power consumption of DAB receivers,  (b) the prevalence of the use of DAB+ with the AAC codec and  (c) the effectiveness of digital reception in cars; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The Government have already commissioned and published independent research into the energy efficiency of digital radio. This research has been published on the DCMS website, and can be found at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/digitalradios_energyconsumption_report.pdf
	In addition, we are currently conducting further research in this area and will publish the results early next year.
	We are not aware of any mainstream UK-based broadcasters currently broadcasting on DAB+. Therefore, any research into the usage of DAB+ in the UK is unlikely to provide any meaningful information.
	The effectiveness of DAB reception in vehicles was tested as part of the Digital Radio Working Group in 2008. To build on this initial research, the Digital Radio Action Plan, published in July this year, set out the process for a specific examination of in-vehicle receiver and aerial sensitivities; it is due to report findings by the end of next year.

Local Broadcasting: Radio

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to encourage community radio.

Edward Vaizey: The Department has made up to £500,000 a year available since 2004 to support the community radio sector, through the Community Radio Fund. In recent years we have also allocated funds to the Community Media Association from within that funding to support its work in promoting best practice within the community media sector and encouraging self-sustainability.
	In addition, the Community Radio (Amendment) Order 2010 relaxed the existing licensing and regulatory regime to promote a more sustainable community radio sector.

Local Broadcasting: Radio

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will take steps to increase the availability of community radio licences.

Edward Vaizey: The licensing of community radio stations is a matter for Ofcom, which works independently of Government. While demand for new community radio licences is high, available analogue spectrum is scarce. We understand that Ofcom has not yet made a decision on whether to conduct a further round of community radio licensing.

Local Broadcasting: Television

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the partners of the Canvas joint venture on access to the Canvas platform for local television channels.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State has held discussions with a number of the Canvas (now YouView) partners to discuss the potential for local television in the UK. However these discussions were not specifically regarding any access local television would have to the YouView platform.
	Nicholas Shott is currently conducting his independent review of local TV in the UK and will present the Secretary of State with his final conclusions by early December, which will be published on the DCMS website.

Museums and Galleries: Fees and Charges

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had on free entry to national museums; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: We have had no discussions. In line with the coalition manifesto there are no plans to review the policy of free admission to national museums and galleries.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his most recent estimate is of the cost to the public purse of hosting the teams competing in the London 2012 Olympic games.

Hugh Robertson: The majority of costs that are necessary to host the teams competing in the London 2012 games, for example, construction of an Olympic Village where teams will stay during the games, a park and venues for them to compete in, and games-time security costs, are provided for within the £9.3 billion public sector funding package.
	DCMS publishes quarterly economic reports setting out how the public sector funding package is being used. Other costs, for example, for running the Village during games-time, fall to the London Organising Committee of the 2012 Olympic games and Paralympic games (LOCOG), which is a private company.
	There are potentially costs falling to those local authorities and other public bodies that are hosting pre-games training camps. Costs outside the public sector funding package will lie where they fall.

Regional Screen Agency

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans his Department has for the Regional Screen Agency.

Edward Vaizey: The Department is not directly involved in the restructuring of regional screen agencies which are private companies. However, we would welcome the principle of a more simple and efficient framework.

S4C

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what  (a) discussions and  (b) correspondence he has had with each representative of S4C between 6 May and 8 June 2010; and if he will publish that correspondence.

Edward Vaizey: In May 2010, the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media, and Sport discussed a reduction in funding with the chair of S4C-as part of the £6 billion efficiency savings.
	Further to a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act on 15 June, correspondence and details of discussions with the Secretary of State and officials were partially released on 15 September 2010.
	Copies of these documents will be placed in the House Libraries

Television

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will take steps to ensure Project Canvas does not inhibit the development of new local television companies.

Edward Vaizey: Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) services such as Canvas (now YouView) are currently being developed.
	Nicholas Shott, Head of UK Investment Banking at Lazard, is currently conducting a review on the conditions that will allow commercially sustainable local television to emerge in the UK.
	His interim findings said that local TV is over time likely to "naturally migrate" to IPTV. He called IPTV:
	"the best delivery means for local TV"
	and as such, IPTV services are likely to present an opportunity for viewers to access more local material because of the flexibility the platform will offer.
	Nicholas Shott will present the Secretary of State with his final conclusions by early December, in which he will look further at IPTV and other issues. This will be published on the Department's website.

Television: Finance

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will take steps to ensure that the development of new television channels does not receive public subsidy.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State has asked Nicholas Shott, Head of UK Investment Banking at Lazard, to conduct a review of the conditions that will allow commercially sustainable local television to emerge in the UK without direct public subsidy.
	Nicholas Shott will present the Secretary of State with his final conclusions by early December, which will be published on the Department's website.

Television: Licensing

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many households in City of Chester constituency claim a free television licence; and how many such households include a higher rate taxpayer.

Edward Vaizey: The Department does not collect data on the number of free licences claimed. This is a matter for the BBC, although I understand the BBC does not hold such data broken down by constituency.

Television: Hearing Impairment

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has had any recent discussions about the provision of interpreter services for deaf or hard of hearing television viewers.

Edward Vaizey: The Government understands the importance of subtitling and signing services to deaf or hard of hearing television viewers and I have had a number of discussions on issues affecting television viewers, including the provision of Access Services.

Video Recordings Act 1984

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what representations he has received on reform of the Video Recordings Act 1984 to end the requirement of film distributors to receive a classification certificate from the British Board of Film Classification for films in respect of which they wish to accept a voluntary 18 certificate.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has received two representations, from members of the public, on reforming the Video Recordings Act 1984 to this end.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Electoral Register

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is on the practice of local authorities in seeking the prosecution of those who have not registered on the Electoral Roll.

Mark Harper: There is no legal duty on individuals to register to vote and the Government have no plans to introduce one. However, there is a legal requirement on individuals to supply information to registration officers if required to do so, and it is an offence not to comply with that requirement. Whether to pursue a failure to supply information and to seek prosecution in a given case is a matter for the individual registration officer, the police and the relevant prosecuting authority.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Affordable Housing: Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the evidential basis is for his Department's estimate of the contribution from the public purse to keep people in affordable homes; what estimate he has made of the total annual cost to the public purse; which elements of public expenditure he has included in the calculation; and how this figure was arrived at.

Andrew Stunell: There are two types of housing subsidy, 'capital subsidy' provided through the National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP) and sub-market rents in the social sector, and 'personal subsidy' through housing benefit.
	In 2009-10 we spent £3.3 billion (in England) on the NAHP for the provision of new affordable homes and wider housing programmes. Research carried out by Professor Steve Wilcox for CLG estimated that in national terms in 2007-08 the annual economic subsidy of providing sub-market rents in the social sector was £3.67 billion for the local authority sector, and £3.38 billion for the Housing Association sector.(1)
	In 2009-10 £12.4 billion (in Great Britain-figure provided by DWP) was spent on housing benefit for social sector tenants.
	CLG and DWP's budget for 2011-12 to 2014-15 is being considered as part of the spending review.
	(1) Source:
	Analysis of Rents for the Review of Council Housing Finance-Professor Steve Wilcox:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/1290130.pdf

Allotments

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make an assessment of the appropriate amount of land to be set aside for use as allotment land for each category of population density; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: It is up to local authorities to assess the needs of their community and ascertain what is a sufficient number of allotments for their local area.

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which directorate of his Department has responsibility for the  (a) formulation and  (b) implementation of policy on reducing the incidence of anti-Semitism; how many officials at each pay band in his Department are employed in each such directorate; what other posts in his Department each such official has held; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: The Communities and Neighbourhoods Directorate in the Department of Communities and Local Government is responsible for the formulation and in partnership with other Departments the implementation of policy on reducing the incidence of anti-Semitism. The department's work on anti-Semitism falls under the auspices of the team that works on hate crime and all other forms of hatred and intolerance. This team is made up of three officials, one at pay band 6.1, one at pay band 4.3 and one at pay band 3.2. All three have held a range of previous positions across Government including the Home Office, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Government Office for London.

Building Regulations: Public Consultation

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will publish the responses received to Question 86 of his Department's building regulations consultation referred to on page 178 of Proposals for amending Part L and Part F of the Building Regulations Summary of Responses, dated 1 April 2010.

Andrew Stunell: The Department received over 400 responses to the Part L and F consultation and, having published a comprehensive Summary of Responses, has no plans to publish the individual responses to the 113 questions in the consultation document. We will, however, provide copies of individual responses on request, in accordance with confidentiality, data protection and freedom of information requirements.
	The majority of respondents to Question 86 felt that circulator pumps should have a minimum band C rating. However, from 2013 there will be a mandatory EU-wide requirement under the energy using products directive for all circulator pumps placed on the market to be band A. The main trade association for the UK pump market argued that it would be unreasonable to expect pump manufacturers to modify designs twice in just over a two-year period.
	It was therefore decided that the Part L guidance from October 2010 should be that circulator pumps should have an A to G energy label, as this would be an effective way of encouraging consumers to choose energy efficient products without imposing an undue burden on manufacturers already preparing for 2013.

Departmental Equality

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to publish equality impact assessments undertaken by his Department as part of the comprehensive spending review; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: The Department is following guidance issued by the Government Equalities Office on publishing its equality impact assessments (EqIAs) as part of the Spending Review.
	The results of the EqIAs will be published in due course once the Spending Review has been announced.

Empty Dwelling Management and Enforced Sale Procedure Orders

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how long on average it has taken from application to the granting of an  (a) empty dwelling management and  (b) enforced sale procedures order in each local authority area since 2006.

Andrew Stunell: Information on the time taken from application to the granting of an empty dwelling management order (EDMO) is not held centrally. EDMOs are authorised by the Residential Property Tribunal Service and the target set by the Department under the last Government for dealing with all Housing Act 2004 cases is 75% of applications should be determined within 15 weeks and 90% of decisions issued within four weeks after that.
	Information on enforced sale procedures is not collected.

Empty Property: East of England

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) privately-owned and  (b) social sector homes in (i) Peterborough and (ii) the East of England were vacant in each of the last 12 quarters for which figures are available; and how many of those homes had been vacant for more than six months.

Andrew Stunell: The following table shows the total number and proportion of dwellings that were vacant (i) for any length of time and (ii) for more than six months in Peterborough Unitary Authority (UA) area and the East of England region in each of the last three years. Separate figures are included for local authority-owned and Registered Social Landlord (RSL) dwellings. Comparable information on the number of private sector vacant dwellings is not held centrally.
	Figures for RSLs include 'general needs' self-contained stock and exclude bed spaces, 'supported housing' and 'housing for older people'. For which vacancy estimates are not available below the England level. 'General needs' self-contained stock accounts for approximately 80% of the RSL sector.
	
		
			   All tenures  Local authority( 1)  Registered social landlord( 2,3) 
			   Number  %  Number  %  Number  % 
			  2007   
			 Peterborough UA   
			 All vacants 2,179, 3.0 - - 156 1.4 
			 Vacant for > six months 610 0.8 - - 74 0.7 
			 East of England   
			 All vacants 69,107 2.8 2,492 1.3 1,836 1.2 
			 Vacant for > 6 months 24,704 1.0 698 0.4 1,010 9.6 
			  2008   
			 Peterborough UA   
			 All vacants 2,517 3.4 - - 110 1.0 
			 Vacant for > six months 766 1.0 - - 78 0.7 
			 East of England   
			 All vacants 72,773 3.0 2,040 1.3 1,888 1.0 
			 Vacant for > six months 26,255 1.1 689 0.4 1,224 0.7 
			  2009   
			 Peterborough UA   
			 All vacants 2,590 3.4 - - 90 0.8 
			 Vacant for > six months 854 1.1 - - 67 0.6 
			 East of England   
			 All vacants 72,891 2.9 2,595 1.6 2,137 1.2 
			 Vacant for > six months 25,921 1.0 685 0.4 1,342 0.7 
			 (1) These figures relate to stock owned by a local authority regardless of whether it is located within that local authority's boundaries. Peterborough UA has transferred its own stock to the RSL sector. (2) 'General needs' self-contained RSL stock only (3) RSL vacancies of more than six months are based on a proxy measure - "RSL vacancies not available for rent"  Sources:  All tenures - CTB1 council tax form (completed by local authorities); local authority tenure - Business Planning Statistical Appendix (completed by local authorities); RSL tenure - Regulatory and Statistical Return (completed by RSLs)

Energy: Housing

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals for mandatory energy efficiency standards for homes in the private rented sector; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: Following the uprating of energy efficiency requirements in the building regulations on 1 October, we currently have no plans to implement additional regulatory measures in the private rented sector. We are however committed to improving the energy efficiency of existing housing, and we will continue to look at ways of promoting energy efficiency in the private rented sector including through the Green Deal.

Enforced Sale Procedure Order

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many enforced sale orders each local authority has obtained since such orders were introduced; and which local authorities have enforced sales under such orders.

Andrew Stunell: Information on enforced sales is not collected.

Homes and Communities Agency: North East

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will ensure that the  (a) assets and  (b) income from assets currently held by the Homes and Communities Agency in the North East will remain in the North East and continue to be used for the purposes of housing and related projects.

Andrew Stunell: We are reviewing the future of regeneration and housing policies as part of the spending review and the forthcoming White Paper on sub-national economic growth. There are currently no plans to move assets and income held by the Homes and Communities Agency outside of the Agency.

Housing: Construction

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to announce his Department's plans for incentives for developers of new houses.

Grant Shapps: We are committed to increasing housing supply and seeing more of the homes that people want, in the places that people want them, to meet Britain's housing need.
	The coalition agreement makes a clear commitment to replace centrally imposed targets with powerful fiscal incentives for local authorities so that people see the benefits of housing growth.
	We have acted quickly to scrap and replace the previous government's ineffective failed top-down target system.
	In a letter to council leaders on 9 August I set out my intention to introduce the cornerstone of this new system, the New Homes Bonus. This will shift power back into the hands of individuals, communities and councils and give local communities a direct and substantial share in growth rather than just absorbing the costs. A copy of this letter was sent to all MPs and placed in the Library of the House.
	We will introduce the scheme early in the spending review following a consultation on the specific scheme design.
	We are also committed to reducing the burden of unnecessary regulation on homebuilders. This will reduce the costs of development and incentivise investment in new housing.

Housing: Construction

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for sustainable house building in the period from 2010 to 2015.

Andrew Stunell: Our programme for government includes a number of commitments to encouraging sustainable house building. We are seeking to increase levels of sustainable house building by introducing the New Homes Bonus, a powerful fiscal incentive for local authorities to deliver new homes.
	We are committed also to improving the energy efficiency of new homes. My right hon. Friend, the Minister for Housing and Local Government, announced in July our intention to ensure that all new homes would be zero carbon from 2016. As a first step, new requirements in building regulations came into to effect on 1 October. We are planning to publish a revised version of the Code for Sustainable Homes shortly.
	The programme for government also confirmed our intention to create a presumption in favour of sustainable development in the planning system. We will announce further details later this year.

Housing: Construction

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to reduce levels of regulation applying to new housing developments.

Andrew Stunell: I initiated a review of the Building Regulations over the summer, to consider options for changes to the Building Regulations and building control system, including the potential to deregulate. Having sought views from a wide range of interested parties, and taking account of the responses to the "Your Freedom" and my Department's "Cutting Red Tape" websites, my officials are now analysing the responses and I am aiming to make a statement on this around the end of the year.
	More widely, my colleague, the Minister for Housing, has set out his commitment to simplifying the regulations for new build housing. My Department will be initiating discussions with interested parties shortly about how to simplify the other standards (beyond Building Regulations) in the light of the development of the new planning regime. In the meantime we have:
	Abolished national housing density targets;
	Revoked Regional Strategies for local housing numbers;
	Adopted a government wide "one in, one out" approach to new regulatory burdens.
	The coalition agreement says we will publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development. We will make an announcement on how we propose to take forward the national planning framework and the implications for specific areas of planning policy. This will include planning for housing policy.

Housing: East of England

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the average density of new housing in  (a) Peterborough and  (b) the East of England in each of the last 10 years.

Andrew Stunell: The density of new housing in Peterborough for 1994-97, 1998-2001, 2002-05 and 2006-09 is published in the Land Use Change Statistics Live Table P232, while the density of new housing in the east of England between 1999 and 2009 is published in the Land Use Change Statistics Live Table P231. Both of these tables can be accessed at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planningbuilding/planningstatistics/livetables/landusechange/
	Note that the density of new housing at local authority level is only published as multi-year averages as it can be highly volatile at more frequent intervals.
	The abolition of Whitehall density targets by the new Government means that the appropriate level of density of new housing is now a matter for local determination.

Housing: Empty Property

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the New Homes Bonus scheme will apply to empty homes brought back into use by local authorities.

Grant Shapps: We are committed to increasing housing supply and seeing more of the homes that people want, in the places that people want them, to meet Britain's housing need.
	The coalition agreement makes a clear commitment to replace centrally imposed targets with powerful incentives for local authorities so that people see the real benefits of growth.
	I will be considering the specific scheme design issues, including bringing empty properties back into use, shortly after the spending review.

Housing: Ex-servicemen

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of service personnel normally resident in  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales,  (c) Northern Ireland and  (d) each region of England have been granted housing by a local authority upon discharge from the armed forces in each of the last five years.

Andrew Stunell: This information is not collected centrally.
	Information is collected from local authorities via the quarterly P1E form giving the number of households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty with reason for loss of last settled home being 'Household left HM forces'. These households will be offered social housing or placed in temporary accommodation until such housing is available or other arrangements are made. These figures do not provide a full or accurate picture of the number of armed forces service personnel granted housing by local authorities because households can enter social housing via other routes, and not all households accepted as homeless will enter social housing. Also, local authorities record only the main reason for loss of last settled home and so may underestimate the number of acceptances following discharge from the armed forces.
	
		
			  Number of households accepted as being homeless with reason for loss of last settled home 'Household left HM forces' 
			   Number 
			 2005-06 268 
			 2006-07 204 
			 2007-08 218 
			 2008-09 163 
			 2009-10 123 
			  Source: Quarterly P1E returns 
		
	
	The Department does not hold statistics for the devolved Administrations.

Housing: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the sites for which Newcastle City Council sought funding as part of its Single Home Improvement Panel application.

Andrew Stunell: My Department holds no information on any programme or funding stream called the Single Home Improvement Panel.

Housing: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has made a recent estimate of the  (a) number and  (b) monetary value of homes which could be built on undeveloped sites in Peterborough which are held in land banks by registered social landlords.

Andrew Stunell: The Department for Communities and Local Government has not made a recent estimate of the number or monetary value of homes which could be built on undeveloped land in Peterborough owned by registered social landlords.

Housing: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of homes in Peterborough were  (a) owner-occupied,  (b) privately-rented and  (c) socially-rented in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Stunell: The number of dwellings in Peterborough unitary authority (UA) area in 2009 is shown in the following table, split by tenure. Figures for the privately rented and owner-occupied tenures are not held centrally.
	
		
			  Peterborough UA  Number of units  Percentage of total 
			 Local authority(1) - - 
			 Registered social landlord(2) 14,244 19 
			 Other public sector 542 1 
			 Private sector 60,427 80 
			 Total 75,213 100 
			 (1) Peterborough UA has transferred its own stock into the registered social landlord (RSL) sector. (2) Includes 'general needs' stock, 'supported housing' and 'housing for older people', both self-contained and bed spaces.  Sources: 1. Local authority and other public sector reported as at 1 April 2009 by local authorities through the Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix; includes non-permanent dwellings. 2. Registered social landlord figures as at 31 March 2009 collected in the Regulatory and Statistical Return. 3. Total stock estimates from 2001: census dwelling count as a baseline and subsequent changes to the dwelling stock from the Housing Flows Reconciliation form. Private stock is calculated by the residual.

Housing: Repossession Orders

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on forcing sale on unsecured debts of less than £25,000; and what assessment he has made of the likely effect this would have on bringing  (a) empty and  (b) visually-blighted residential properties back into use.

Andrew Stunell: The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for the legislation which would be affected by this coalition agreement proposal.
	Officials in Communities and Local Government are working closely with the Ministry of Justice to ensure the right balance is achieved between protecting homeowners from losing their home as a result of modest unsecured debts, and maintaining the powers local authorities need to tackle dangerous or visually blighted properties, including empty homes.

Infrastructure: Planning Permission

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what process his Department plans to follow for applications for major infrastructure projects which have entered the planning process but which will not have been determined on the date of abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission.

Bob Neill: We intend to make provision in the Localism Bill which will allow for applications which have been accepted by the Infrastructure Planning Commission, but not yet decided, to transfer seamlessly to the Secretary of State. Such applications will be taken forward by the new Major Infrastructure Planning Unit, which will be established within the Planning Inspectorate, without interruption to the process.

Local Enterprise Partnerships: Norfolk

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department issues to those wishing to prepare a bid to establish a local enterprise partnership; and what representations he has received from organisations in Norfolk on the processes for establishing such partnerships.

Bob Neill: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills jointly wrote to local authorities and business leaders on 29 June inviting them to submit their initial proposals for local enterprise partnerships. The letter encouraged local areas to come forward with their own ideas for the formation of local enterprise partnerships but set out some expectations around the role, governance and size of such partnerships.
	We have received a proposal for a local enterprise partnership entitled Norfolk Unlimited covering the area of Norfolk county council. We have also received a proposal for an East Anglia local enterprise partnership covering Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and parts of Essex. We are currently considering these proposals and any representations relating to them and hope to provide formal feedback soon.

Local Government: Procurement

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to make the tendering process of local government building contracts more accessible to small and medium-sized businesses.

Bob Neill: It is for local authorities themselves to determine the best way to commission and procure building contracts. However, best practice guidance is available from a number of sources. For example, OGC and BIS recently published guidance to procurement staff and organisations on flagging tendering opportunities suitable for SMEs or consortiums of SMEs in 'Small supplier big opportunity-Flagging your contracts to SMEs':
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Contract_Flagging.pdf
	As part of the Government's commitment to increasing transparency and openness, all councils have been called up to publish invitations to tender and final contracts on projects over £500 by the start of 2011.
	The Local Government Association (LGA), through its 'Place Based Productivity' programme, is looking at a range of productivity topics, including procurement. This sector-led programme will look identify best practice and identify new and innovative ways to support local government and its partners in finding greater efficiencies. For further details:
	http://local.gov.uk/lgv2/core/page.do?pageId=579930

Local Government: Publicity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable has been set for the revision of the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity.

Bob Neill: The code of publicity is referred to in the structural reform plan. On 29 September we launched a consultation on proposals for a revised code of recommended practice, inviting responses by 10 November. Subject to that consultation, we intend by the end of November to lay before Parliament a revised code which will come into force once it is approved by both Houses of Parliament.

Mobile Homes: Regulation

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the operation of the Residential Regulatory Tribunal Service in administering regulations on the sale and purchase of mobile homes; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: Residential property tribunals do not at present determine applications in relation to the sale and purchase of mobile homes. It is proposed that the jurisdiction of the county courts in doing so will transfer to the tribunals in the spring of next year. An assessment of the effectiveness of that operation will be carried out in due course.

Planning Permission

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will withdraw planning circular 01/2006.

Andrew Stunell: The Government intend to revoke Planning Circular 01/06 (ODPM) "Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Sites" subject to the necessary impact assessments and following a public consultation. The Circular will be replaced with a short policy statement and light-touch guidance.

Planning: Travellers

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to revoke the current planning circulars relating to Travellers; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: The Government intend to revoke Planning Circular 01/06 (ODPM) 'Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Sites' and 'Planning Circular 04/07 Planning for Travelling Showpeople' subject to the necessary impact assessments and following a public consultation. The circulars will be replaced with a short policy statement and light-touch guidance.
	I also refer my hon. Friend to my Department's press release of 29 August 2010, a copy of which has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Registered Social Landlords: East of England

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate has been made of the number of registered social landlords who own undeveloped land in  (a) Peterborough and  (b) the East of England.

Andrew Stunell: There has been no recent estimate of the number of registered social landlords who own undeveloped land in either Peterborough or the East of England.

Thurrock Borough Council: Accountancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to raise standards of financial management at Thurrock Borough Council; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: Responsibility for raising financial standards at Thurrock rests with the local authority and its electorate, who will be assisted by the steps that the Government are taking to increase the transparency of local authorities' financial transactions. The changes we are making to the Audit Commission will safeguard the independence of local audit and further enhance democratic accountability by giving residents a role in the appointment of the auditor.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Death: Children

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what methods his Department uses to assess the effectiveness of its programmes in reducing the under-5 mortality rate.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) assesses the effectiveness of its work to reduce the under-5 mortality rate using information embedded in DFID's corporate performance systems at the level of our projects and programmes. These draw on national data and statistics and evidence collected by DFID's partners, including the GAVI Alliance and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. We also draw on data from the United Nations Statistics Division's MDG database, to assess progress against Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4, to reduce the child mortality rate at the national and global levels.
	DFID is currently reviewing its bilateral and multilateral aid to ensure our programmes are effective, represent value for money for the UK taxpayer and accelerate progress towards the MDGs. Future funding allocation will be based on the findings of these reviews and the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
	The coalition Government places a strong focus on results in all our aid programmes. We will be embedding evaluation in every programme and creating an independent aid watchdog, the Independent Commission for Aid Impact, to overseas the effectiveness of UK aid.

Pakistan: Floods

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development to which organisations his Department has granted aid funding to assist recovery following the recent floods in Pakistan.

Andrew Mitchell: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to a written parliamentary question on 11 October 2010,  Official Report column 125W, which sets out details of our support and funding.
	Further details of organisations funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) in response to the Pakistan floods are available on the Floods Monitor on DFID's website at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pakistanfloodsmonitor2010

Zimbabwe: Civil Servants

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on the payment of pensions to officials of the Government who worked in Zimbabwe prior to independence.

Alan Duncan: There have been no representations to the Secretary of State for International Development on behalf of former employees of the Government of Southern Rhodesia.
	There have been representations to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office by the Overseas Service Pensioners Association (OSPA).

EDUCATION

Bercow Review

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to arrange and support an independent 18 month review of progress on implementing the recommendations of the Bercow Review of services for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: The Department for Education, with the Communication Council, is monitoring progress on implementing the recommendations from the Bercow Review. Progress is being made and we will be taking this into account, alongside recent reviews on special educational needs and disabilities, including the Rose Review, the Lamb Inquiry, the Salt Review, and the Ofsted report published on 14 September as we develop a Green Paper on special educational needs and disabilities for the autumn.
	I am keen that, in taking forward work on the Green Paper, we seek a wide range of views. That is why I was pleased to hold a roundtable discussion with members of the Communications Trust and others with an interest in children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). I am also pleased to confirm that a Call for Views for the Green Paper was launched on 10 September 2010.

Children: Carers

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to  (a) reduce the number of children and young people acting as carers and  (b) assist children and young people who (i) have been and (ii) are acting as carers.

Tim Loughton: Helping to care for a family member is something that many young people are happy and proud to do. These young people do play an absolutely vital role both for their families and society as a whole and they deserve our recognition and support. The Department for Education with the Department of Health is absolutely committed to supporting local services including many voluntary organisations which have been set up to support these young people.
	However in some cases these young people need protection from excessive or inappropriate caring that puts their education and/or health at risk. I attended the Young Carers Festival this summer as I have done for a number of years and have heard directly about their concerns. They told me that services supporting their parents or other family members all too often do not consider their views or identify and respond to their support needs, even though these might be critical to the care they are providing.
	On 28 July the Government initiated a call for evidence with a view to refreshing the Carers Strategy-the consultation closed on 20 September. The responses are currently being considered and will help establish the key priorities that will be the focus of a refreshed Carers Strategy to be published later this year.
	The strategy will build on the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) and the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) 'working together to better support young carers' which encourages services such as schools, substance misuse and mental health services and the voluntary sector to identify and respond to young carers support needs as well as those of their parent/family. The MoU is unequivocal in saying that any package of support for those requiring care should not rely on a young person taking on inappropriate of excessive levels of care. I have urged all local authorities to sign up to the MoU.
	The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, supported by Government, is currently managing a £1 million Innovation Fund on behalf of the National Young Carers Coalition. This has led to 20 voluntary sector young carer projects being funded until March 2011 to extend the support they provide to young carers to include the whole family. The trust is looking at ways to showcase the learning to other voluntary sector young carer projects.
	Young carers have also said that they want their schools and teaching staff to be more responsive to their needs. In response to this the Princess Royal Trust for Carers and the Children's Society has produced a schools pack to help schools develop their systems and policies and increasing numbers of schools have included young carers as a key theme within their own 'Healthy Schools' programmes.
	Later in the year the Department plans to publish a report on local projects that have helped to ensure that young people do not have to take on harmful caring roles.
	The Children's Society, supported by DFE, recently completed a series of five training events for practitioners in adult mental health and substance misuse services to help them better identify, assess, support or refer young carers to the appropriate help.

Children's Play: Essex

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will provide funds under the Playmaker Scheme for projects at  (a) Castle Park and  (b) High Woods Country Park in Colchester.

Sarah Teather: Government are currently having to make difficult choices in order to tackle the budget deficit. The coalition inherited unrealistic spending commitments for 2010-11, where funding was reliant on under-spends or additional funding being taken from reserves.
	Play, while important for children and families, has to make its contribution. We are currently looking at how we can make savings to the play capital budget in the most equitable way possible, while taking account of contractual commitments that may be in place locally and allowing projects to progress where affordable.
	Once local authorities are notified of revised playbuilder allocations it will continue to be for them to make their own decisions about where playbuilder investment should be made locally, based on identified need and following consultation with children and young people, families and wider communities.

Departmental Drinking Water

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on bottled water in 2008.

Tim Loughton: The Department does not record information to such a level of detail to enable it to identify expenditure on bottled water.

Departmental Manpower

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people are employed at his Department's site in Darlington.

Tim Loughton: As of 31 August 2010, there were 411 (381.7 full-time equivalent) employees at the Department's Darlington site.

Departmental Training

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his  (a) Department and its predecessors and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on training for its employees in each year since 1997.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education was established on 12 May 2010. The Department estimates the total spend on learning and development (since it was established) and for its predecessors, the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Education and Skills, over the last three financial years to be as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2007-08 2.68 
			 2008-09 2.84 
			 2009-10 1.58 
		
	
	The Department does not hold the information centrally for spending on training in the years previous to this, and could obtain it only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on the Department's non-departmental public bodies training costs is not available as they manage their own budgets in this regard. Because the Department does not hold this information centrally, it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Family and Parenting Institute: Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what level of funding is allocated to the Family and Parenting Institute in the current financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 15 September 2010
	The funding allocated by the Department for Education to the Family and Parenting Institute for 2010-11 is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Children, Young People and Families (CYPF) grant 1,210,000 
			 Parenting Fund 7,500,000 
			 Early Home Learning Environment project 132,507 
			 Total 8,842,507 
		
	
	The strategic grant from the Children, Young People and Families grant programme enables FPI to make a difference for parents and families by influencing local and national decision makers to improve outcomes for families through research; sharing knowledge; and supporting innovation by designing, testing and presenting the outcomes accessibly.
	FPI has a £7.5 million contract to manage the Parenting Fund. Through this £6 million is distributed to 90 local voluntary and charitable organisations in 23 disadvantaged areas to provide parenting and family support services. The remainder covers the cost of managing the Fund and helping the sustainability of these local projects after Government funding ends in March 2011.
	The Early Home Learning Environment research project is examining the influence that early years providers can have on the quality of children's home environment. This project ends in March 2011.

Health Education: Sex

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to improve sex education in England to reduce the number of  (a) unwanted pregnancies and  (b) cases of sexually transmitted infections among teenagers.

Sarah Teather: We believe that it is vital that all children receive high-quality sex and relationships education (SRE), to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills they need to make the right decisions about relationships and sexual health later in life. We are currently considering how best to facilitate that, within the context of a slimmed down National Curriculum. We will be announcing our proposals for the curriculum as a whole later in the autumn.

History: A-level

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of pupils were entered for history A-level in each local authority in the most recent year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of pupils entered for history A-level obtained a grade C or above in each local authority in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  History A level entries and achievements by local authority, 2009 
			  Local authority  Number of pupils who were entered for History A level in 2009  Percentage of pupils who were entered for History A level in 2009  Number of pupils who achieved a grade C or above in History A level  Percentage of pupils entered for History A level who achieved a grade C or above 
			  North East 1,502 15.6 1,099 73.2 
			 Darlington 122 13.3 86 70.5 
			 Durham 235 15.4 189 80.4 
			 Gateshead 122 18.1 94 77.0 
			 Hartlepool 66 14.9 50 75.8 
			 Middlesbrough 50 10.1 31 62.0 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 171 12.2 123 71.9 
			 North Tyneside 123 15.4 104 84.6 
			 Northumberland 217 15.1 163 75.1 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 75 11.9 50 66.7 
			 South Tyneside 71 17.1 43 60.6 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 114 13.8 74 64.9 
			 Sunderland 136 18.4 92 67.6 
			  
			  North West 4,118 13.7 3,191 77.5 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 85 11.0 63 74.1 
			 Blackpool 91 11.5 71 78.0 
			 Bolton 98 9.6 69 70.4 
			 Bury 132 9.5 104 78.8 
			 Cheshire East 276 16.2 208 75.4 
			 Cheshire West and Chester 239 9.8 188 78.7 
			 Cumbria 403 17.8 305 75.7 
			 Halton 37 11.3 21 56.8 
			 Knowsley 8 4.3 5 62.5 
			 Lancashire 587 13.5 492 83.8 
			 Liverpool 341 17.1 246 72.1 
			 Manchester 182 9.3 146 80.2 
			 Oldham 116 8.9 98 84.5 
			 Rochdale 37 13.6 22 59.5 
			 Salford 92 12.4 73 79.3 
			 Sefton 219 13.1 175 79.9 
			 St. Helens 67 6.6 47 70.1 
			 Stockport 133 8.3 109 82.0 
			 Tameside 74 9.4 55 74.3 
			 Trafford 251 22.8 204 81.3 
			 Warrington 147 14.7 108 73.5 
			 Wigan 225 13.4 187 83.1 
			 Wirral 278 14.4 195 70.1 
			  
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 3,091 15.0 2,251 72.8 
			 Barnsley 74 17.4 48 64.9 
			 Bradford 242 13.3 170 70.2 
			 Calderdale 140 15.6 104 74.3 
			 Doncaster 102 9.8 68 66.7 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 287 22.5 202 70.4 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 90 10.2 69 76.7 
			 Kirklees 290 14.4 229 79.0 
			 Leeds 460 15.5 338 73.5 
			 North East Lincolnshire 98 12.4 45 45.9 
			 North Lincolnshire 117 12.4 81 69.2 
			 North Yorkshire 473 14.7 375 79.3 
			 Rotherham 143 11.0 97 67.8 
			 Sheffield 267 13.8 198 74.2 
			 Wakefield 159 11.7 112 70.4 
			 York 149 15.5 115 77.2 
			  
			  East Midlands 2,910 15.9 2,111 72.5 
			 Derby 136 15.3 96 70.6 
			 Derbyshire 499 18.4 373 74.7 
			 Leicester 90 5.6 70 77.8 
			 Leicestershire 309 8.9 226 73.1 
			 Lincolnshire 683 21.3 526 77.0 
			 Northamptonshire 506 16.5 349 69.0 
			 Nottingham 197 12.2 152 77.2 
			 Nottinghamshire 490 16.4 319 65.1 
			  
			  West Midlands 3,755 16.3 2,725 72.6 
			 Birmingham 671 14.3 499 74.4 
			 Coventry 182 14.3 117 64.3 
			 Dudley 235 13.6 186 79.1 
			 Herefordshire 164 16.1 141 86.0 
			 Sandwell 74 14.1 36 48.6 
			 Shropshire 207 14.4 171 82.6 
			 Solihull 228 16.5 171 75.0 
			 Staffordshire 573 16.3 382 66.7 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 121 15.4 89 73.6 
			 Telford and Wrekin 133 16.9 122 91.7 
			 Walsall 218 19.2 142 65.1 
			 Warwickshire 474 17.4 362 76.4 
			 Wolverhampton 101 10.8 54 53.5 
			 Worcestershire 374 15.0 253 67.6 
			  
			  East of England 4,665 18.6 3,602 77.2 
			 Bedford 152 17.5 117 77.0 
			 Bedfordshire, Central 190 16.3 133 70.0 
			 Cambridgeshire 596 21.5 499 83.7 
			 Essex 1,047 16.6 803 76.7 
			 Hertfordshire 1,165 17.7 918 78.8 
			 Luton 84 10.4 52 61.9 
			 Norfolk 523 16.6 384 73.4 
			 Peterborough 136 15.6 100 73.5 
			 Southend-on-Sea 187 19.3 160 85.6 
			 Suffolk 518 19.0 396 76.4 
			 Thurrock 67 12.0 40 59.7 
			  
			  London 5,197 16.3 4,082 78.5 
			 Inner London 1,314 16.0 1,031 78.5 
			 Camden 233 22.6 193 82.8 
			 Hackney 34 9.3 23 67.6 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 120 15.8 100 83.3 
			 Haringey 104 16.6 80 76.9 
			 Islington 62 10.3 37 59.7 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 74 11.7 56 75.7 
			 Lambeth 46 14.2 38 82.6 
			 Lewisham 158 14.4 122 77.2 
			 Newham 48 6.5 37 77.1 
			 Southwark 52 15.9 34 65.4 
			 Tower Hamlets 55 7.3 36 65.5 
			 Wandsworth 176 14.9 153 86.9 
			 Westminster 152 14.5 122 80.3 
			  
			  Outer London 3,883 16.5 3,051 78.6 
			 Barking and Dagenham 111 17.2 76 68.5 
			 Barnet 424 15.7 368 86.8 
			 Bexley 214 17.1 169 79.0 
			 Brent 174 14.5 134 77.0 
			 Bromley 378 17.0 283 74.9 
			 Croydon 172 14.0 117 68.0 
			 Ealing 127 14.0 116 91.3 
			 Enfield 264 17.6 208 78.8 
			 Greenwich 79 11.7 58 73.4 
			 Harrow 190 14.6 156 82.1 
			 Havering 238 16.3 205 86.1 
			 Hillingdon 173 12.7 119 68.8 
			 Hounslow 220 17.1 173 78.6 
			 Kingston upon Thames 196 15.6 145 74.0 
			 Merton 44 11.8 31 70.5 
			 Redbridge 297 13.7 240 80.8 
			 Richmond upon Thames 179 15.7 136 76.0 
			 Sutton 252 15.8 223 88.5 
			 Waltham Forest 151 11.1 94 62.3 
			  
			  South East 6,644 16.9 5,227 78.7 
			 Bracknell Forest 66 18.1 47 71.2 
			 Brighton and Hove 282 18.0 235 83.3 
			 Buckinghamshire 559 17.3 495 88.6 
			 East Sussex 303 15.6 226 74.6 
			 Hampshire 1,199 14.2 943 78.6 
			 Isle of Wight 114 22.4 80 70.2 
			 Kent 1,202 17.5 932 77.5 
			 Medway 223 16.8 142 63.7 
			 Milton Keynes 148 14.8 111 75.0 
			 Oxfordshire 512 16.3 417 81.4 
			 Portsmouth 18 7.1 12 66.7 
			 Reading 108 18.6 87 80.6 
			 Slough 76 9.8 69 90.8 
			 Southampton 79 11.2 61 77.2 
			 Surrey 901 14.9 702 77.9 
			 West Berkshire 170 17.5 154 90.6 
			 West Sussex 455 12.8 334 73.4 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 105 15.5 82 78.1 
			 Wokingham 124 15.4 98 79.0 
			  
			  South West 3,538 16.8 2,707 76.5 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 173 21.1 146 84.4 
			 Bournemouth 79 16.1 72 91.1 
			 Bristol, City of 166 10.4 124 74.7 
			 Cornwall 269 12.9 183 68.0 
			 Devon 393 13.5 293 74.6 
			 Dorset 304 15.9 236 77.6 
			 Gloucestershire 579 17.1 479 82.7 
			 North Somerset 141 16.4 106 75.2 
			 Plymouth 216 20.7 165 76.4 
			 Poole 131 14.9 99 75.6 
			 Somerset 366 15.7 266 72.7 
			 South Gloucestershire 161 15.0 98 60.9 
			 Swindon 100 11.2 63 63.0 
			 Torbay 114 15.9 96 84.2 
			 Wiltshire 346 18.7 281 81.2 
			  
			  England 35,420 15.0 26,995 76.2 
			  Note: The figures provided cover pupils aged 16-18 in maintained schools and FE Colleges.  Source: Achievement and Attainment Tables.

Schools: Counselling

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will encourage secondary schools to appoint counsellors for pupils recommended by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Sarah Teather: When health and local authority commissioners are planning services to meet the mental health needs of children and young people locally they will want to consider the right way to engage with schools so as to get the best possible services to children and families. Schools are also able to use their own budgets to provide services to meet the needs of pupils, including services to support pupils' emotional well-being and mental health.
	The national Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS) programme was developed to test the effectiveness of evidence-based mental health support in schools for those children, young people and their families who need it. Schools delivering TaMHS commission a range of services procured from voluntary and charitable (as well as statutory) organisations to meet the particular needs of their pupils, including counselling support for children struggling to cope following family breakdown or bereavement. The learning from TaMHS on effective commissioning of emotional well-being and mental health support and joint working with CAMHS is being shared across schools this year.
	While programmes such as TaMHS have been testing what works in developing school-based mental health support, any decision about whether to commission these services remains at the school's discretion.

TREASURY

Corporation Tax: Northern Ireland

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was collected in corporation tax from companies trading in Northern Ireland in the latest year for which figures are available.

David Gauke: An indicative estimate of the amount of corporation tax collected from companies trading in Northern Ireland will be published by HM Treasury as part of a forthcoming consultation document on rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy.

Crown Currency Exchange

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Financial Services Authority on the regulation of Crown Currency Exchange; whether compensation will be available to people affected by the entry into administration of Crown Currency Exchange; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) does not regulate retail foreign currency exchange services such as Crown Currency Exchange.
	Payments made to Crown Currency Exchange were not therefore protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
	The Government will look at this case to see what lessons can be learned for the future.

Departmental Manpower

Kate Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future number of staff of his Department engaged in reducing tax avoidance and evasion; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: HMRC's future staffing levels will be dependent on the implementation of the Department's Spending Review settlement, which will be announced on 20 October.
	The Chief Secretary's announcement that the Government will invest £900 million in HM Revenue and Customs to tackle avoidance, evasion and fraud demonstrates the Government's commitment to deliver a Spending Review focused on both fairness and deficit reduction.

Members: Correspondence

John Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to the letter of 1 September from the right hon. Member for Warley regarding Sandwell Homes.

Danny Alexander: I have replied to the right hon. member.

PAYE

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many incorrect PAYE codes have been issued by HM Revenue and Customs to taxpayers in the last 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the amount of tax  (a) overcharged and  (b) undercharged as a result of tax code errors in the last 12 months.

David Gauke: The exact percentage of incorrect coding notices issued is not known. In any year a small percentage of codes are always incorrect as they do not reflect changes in an individual's circumstances. That is why HMRC send out coding notices well in advance of the start of the new tax year so that customers can review them and report any changes to HMRC.
	The overwhelming majority of PAYE cases (more than 40 million) are correct, so most people have paid the right amount of tax. HMRC estimates that 4.3 million taxpayers will receive repayments for the years 2008-09 and 2009-10, while an estimated 1.4 million will be sent calculations advising that they have underpaid. HMRC estimates the total underpayments for tax years 2008-09 and 2009-10 at £2 billion while the overpayments are worth about £1.8 billion.

PAYE

Lorely Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many HM Revenue and Customs' Pay As You Earn customer reviews from tax years  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2003-04,  (d) 2002-03 and  (e) 2001-02 are outstanding;
	(2)  with reference to the answer of 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 388W, on Pay As You Earn, how many of HM Revenue and Customs' outstanding Pay As You Earn customer reviews (open cases) at the end of March 2007 related to the tax year  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2005-06,  (c) 2004-05,  (d) 2003-04 and  (e) 2002-03;
	(3)  with reference to paragraph 6.21 of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) 2008-09 Accounts, how many of HMRCs' outstanding Pay As You Earn customer reviews (open cases) at the end of March 2008 related to the tax year  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07,  (c) 2005-06,  (d) 2004-05 and  (e) 2003-04;
	(4)  with reference to paragraph 6.28 of HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) 2008-09 Accounts, how many of HMRCs' outstanding Pay As You Earn customer reviews (open cases) at the end of March 2009 related to the tax year  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2007-08,  (c) 2006-07,  (d) 2005-06 and  (e) 2004-05.

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many outstanding PAYE cases there are in respect of each tax year since 2000-01; and how much remains  (a) underpaid and  (b) overpaid in respect of such cases in each such year;
	(2)  whether HM Revenue and Customs is  (a) proceeding against and  (b) intending to proceed against taxpayers for underpayments of PAYE for each tax year from 2000-01 to 2007-08;
	(3)  how many PAYE taxpayers have  (a) underpaid and  (b) overpaid tax in each tax year since 2000-01.

David Gauke: PAYE 'open cases' arose under the previous PAYE computer system when HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was unable to match the pay and tax details submitted by their employer on form P14 to an individual's tax record or a match was made but the pay and tax did not reconcile and further work was needed to establish the correct tax position. The term 'open case' refers to tax years 2007-08 and earlier.
	This was and still is a normal part of the PAYE process although the process has been largely automated since the introduction of the National Insurance and PAYE Service (NPS) in 2009.
	The following table details the approximate number of PAYE 'open cases' broken down by tax year as at the end of March 2007, March 2008, March 2009 along with the number currently outstanding.
	
		
			  Open cases 
			  Million 
			  Tax year  As at March 2007  As at March 2008  As at March 2009  As at 2010 
			 2007-08 - (1)- 9.52 7.92 
			 2006-07 (1)- 8.93 6.01 5.37 
			 2005-06 8.45 4.29 3.17 2.42 
			 2004-05 3.90 2.70 2.15 1.66 
			 2003-04 0.81 0.52 - - 
			 2002-03 0.21 - - - 
			 (1) The number of 'open cases' can only be determined after the end of the tax year 
		
	
	Earlier analysis suggested that around half the cases currently open were likely to lead to either an under or overpayment of tax and that in aggregate these might lead to repayments and recoveries of the order of £3.0 billion and £1.4 billion respectively. However the amount of tax under or overpaid cannot be established until each 'open case' has been worked.
	HMRC is setting in place a programme to complete the clearance of open cases, with a view for their clearance by the end of 2012.

PAYE

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what procedures are in place for individuals to appeal against assessments made by HM Revenue and Customs on liability for the underpayment of PAYE tax as a result of recent miscalculations of liability.

David Gauke: Pay As You Earn (PAYE) calculations (P800s) issued to individuals are based on information held by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). P800s set out HMRC's information about income received and tax paid for the relevant period, together with a calculation of any further tax or repayment due. They are not assessments and do not create a legal debt: they tell customers what HMRC thinks is the correct tax position. Individuals who think the calculation is incorrect in any way should contact HMRC in the first instance. The notes which accompany the P800 explain how to get in touch with HMRC.
	If they are not able to reach agreement and think HMRC's calculations are wrong, customers have a right to appeal against any subsequent assessment or other legal action taken by HMRC. They also have a statutory right to ask for an internal review of that decision. Internal review offers customers the opportunity to have disputed tax decisions considered by a person who was not involved in the original decision, with a view to resolving the case without the need to go to a tribunal. Customers who have a review retain their right to take their appeal to an independent tribunal if they wish.
	The notes accompanying the P800 also explain what people should do in cases where they do not challenge the figures or the legal basis of HMRC's calculation, but think that HMRC should not collect the tax from them. If customers think they should not pay they should make a claim to HMRC in the first instance. If they remain unsatisfied they have the option of making a complaint about the service they have received from HMRC. If they are not satisfied with HMRC's response to the complaint they can take their case to the independent Adjudicator's Office or the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

PAYE

Kate Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether an assessment has been made of the likely effects of the miscalculation of tax liabilities under the PAYE system on recipients of means-tested in-work social security benefits.

David Gauke: It is a normal part of the PAYE cycle that changes in circumstances that cannot be reflected in in-year tax deductions need to be reconciled annually. This is not a miscalculation but is a feature of the way the current PAYE system is designed. PAYE works well for the majority of people but because the processes remain fundamentally unchanged since they were introduced in 1944 there are limitations. The coalition Government are looking at how to reform PAYE further and make it more efficient.
	For information on the impact on recipients of social security benefits if income after tax is changed, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State for Pensions on 11 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 244-245W to the right hon. Member for East Ham (Stephen Timms).

PAYE

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many PAYE taxpayers owed less than £300 and had their debts written off by HM Revenue and Customs in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10; and what the total sum so owed was in each such year.

David Gauke: HMRC estimates the cost of increasing the PAYE tolerance to £300 for 2008-09 and 2009-10 tax years is £160 million, affecting 900,000 taxpayers. HMRC is unable to provide a breakdown of the total sum owed for each year.

Taxation

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amounts foregone by the Exchequer in tax reliefs or allowances in the latest period for which figures are available; in respect of which tax reliefs or allowances the largest sums were foregone; what the sums were in each case; and how much of the sums forgone was attributable to reliefs or allowances granted to  (a) ordinary rate taxpayers,  (b) higher rate taxpayers and  (c) the top (i) 10 per cent., (ii) five per cent., (iii) one per cent. and (iv) 0.1 per cent. of tax payers.

David Gauke: Estimates for principal tax expenditure and structural reliefs are contained in Table 1.5 "Estimated costs of the principal tax expenditure and structural reliefs", which can be found on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_expenditures/table1-5.pdf
	Estimates of the relief value of Personal Allowance and Age-related Personal Allowances for 2009-10 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Personal allowance  Age-related personal allowance 
			  Taxpayer group   
			  (a) Basic Rate 35,900 2,180 
			  (b) Higher Rate 7,950 0 
			
			  Total income group   
			 (i) Top 10% 7,790 0 
			 (ii) Top 5% 3,900 0 
			 (iii) Top 1% 779 0 
			 (iv) Top 0.1% 78 0 
		
	
	Estimates are based upon the 2007-08 Survey of Personal Incomes and are uprated to 2009-10 using June 2010 Budget economic assumptions.
	Detailed breakdowns by taxpayer status or income for other principal tax expenditure and structural reliefs are not available.

VAT

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effect on church repairs of the recovery of VAT on maintenance costs; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: VAT is chargeable on all works of repair or maintenance to churches, as with other buildings. Under normal VAT rules, such tax is not recoverable unless it is a business expense. No assessment has therefore been made of the effect of VAT recovery on church repairs.

INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Claims: Errors

Bob Russell: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many errors by staff of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in processing claims have been recorded since its inception.

Charles Walker: For clarity, future answers will indicate where an issue is the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and not of the Speaker's Committee.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	 Letter from Andrew McDonald to Bob Russell:
	As Interim Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many errors have been recorded since IPSA began operations. (15724)
	MPs whose claims for reimbursement are not paid by IPSA are able to request a review on the grounds that the rules have been applied incorrectly, or that IPSA has made an administrative error. Since 7 May 2010, IPSA has concluded that the decision not to pay was incorrectly determined in 19 instances.

Members: Allowances

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how much was owed to hon. and right hon. Members in unpaid expense claims by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority  (a) on the most recent date for which figures are available and  (b) in each month since 6 May 2010.

Charles Walker: For clarity, future answers will indicate where an issue is the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and not of the Speaker's Committee.
	The information requested falls with the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	 Letter from Andrew McDonald:
	As Interim Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how much was owed in unpaid expense claims. (14631)
	In this context, the question 'how much was owed...' can be interpreted as both expense claims submitted but not yet paid by the end of the month and expense claims approved for payment but not yet paid by the end of the month. Figures for both interpretations are provided in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: Value of expense claims submitted but not yet paid by the end of each month. 
			  Claims submitted  Value (£) 
			 End June 128,219.02 
			 End July 60,332.85 
			 End August 235,325.87 
			 End September 201,965.68 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Value of expense claims approved but not yet paid by the end of each month. 
			  Claims approved  Value (£) 
			 End June 38,622.06 
			 End July 45,107.11 
			 End August 91,710,51 
			 End September 68,279.50

Members: Correspondence

Christopher Chope: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, when the Chairman of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority plans to reply to the letter to him of 13 July 2010 from the office of the hon. Member for Christchurch.

Charles Walker: It has not been possible for IPSA to provide a response to this question by the named day. IPSA will respond as soon as possible.
	For clarity, future answers will indicate where an issue is the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and not of the Speaker's Committee.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	 Substantive answer from Andrew McDonald to Christopher Chope:
	As Interim Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on correspondence. (14924)
	The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority does not intend to comment publicly on individual correspondence with MPs. At present, IPSA aims to respond to all emails and letters within 5 working days.

Members: Telephone Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority's (IPSA) most recent estimate is of the average waiting time for hon. Members who call the IPSA enquiry line.

Charles Walker: For clarity, future answers will indicate where an issue is the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and not of the Speaker's Committee.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	 Letter from Andrew McDonald to Luciana Berger:
	As Interim Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the average waiting time for callers to the IPSA enquiry line. (16029)
	During the month of September, the average call waiting time on the IPSA enquiry line was six minutes and fifty-seven seconds.

CABINET OFFICE

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the one year cancer survival rate was for each type of cancer in people aged  (a) 49 years and under,  (b) 50 to 59 years,  (c) 60 to 69 years,  (d) 70 to 79 years and  (e) over 80 years in (i) each cancer network, (ii) each primary care trust and (iii) England in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the one year cancer survival rate was for each type of cancer in people aged (a) 49 years and under, (b) 50 to 59 years, (c) 60 to 69 years, (d) 70 to 79 years and (e) over 80 years in (i) each cancer network, (ii) each primary care trust and (iii) England in each of the last five years.
	ONS publish one-year cancer survival rates for adults (aged 15-99). Survival is calculated from the date of diagnosis.
	The latest one-year survival figures available for (i) cancer networks in England, for six common cancers are for patients diagnosed in 1991-2006 and followed up to 2007. These are available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15387
	The results are divided into three periods: 1991 - 1995, 1996 - 2000 and 2001 - 2006.
	The latest one-year survival figures available for (i) primary care trusts in England, based on a cancer survival index for all cancers combined are for patients diagnosed during 1996-2006 and followed up to the end of 2007. These are available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15388
	Figures are presented for each of the 11 years from 1996 - 2006, for all adults (persons aged 15-99 years), persons aged 55 - 64 years and persons aged 75 - 99 years.
	The latest one-year survival figures available for (iii) England, for 21 common cancers are for patients diagnosed in 2003-2007 and followed up to the end of 2008. These are available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk-14007
	Comparable survival rates for England for each preceding five year period back to 1998-2001 and followed up to 2003 can also be downloaded from this link.

Charities: Surveys

Alan Beith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the most recent national survey of charities and social enterprises; when the last such survey was conducted; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The National Survey of Charities and Social Enterprises is vital in providing detailed information on the state of the sector at a local level and provides communities, the sector and local and national government with the information needed to support evidence-based decision making in response to public spending reductions and drive forward real change in local areas.
	The National Survey of Charities and Social Enterprises was first conducted in autumn 2008, and fieldwork is currently under way for the second wave of the survey, with results due in early 2011.
	The total net cost of developing and conducting the survey in 2008 and 2010 is £1,465,876.63. The contract for this work was competitively tendered in the Official Journal of the European Union and awarded to the strongest bidder on the basis of the best value tender.

Childbirth

David Amess: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many  (a) live births and  (b) stillbirths there were in each region of England in each year since 2007.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many (a) live births and (b) stillbirths there were in each region of England in each year since 2007. (017591)
	The table below shows the numbers of live births and stillbirths in each Government Office Region of England in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
	
		
			  Number of live births and stillbirths in each Government Office Region of England: 2007, 2008 and 2009 
			  Area of usual residence  Live births  Stillbirths 
			   2007  2008  2009  2007  2008  2009 
			 North East 29,582 30,217 29,776 146 179 143 
			 North West 85,947 88,167 87,549 476 450 450 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 64,191 66,353 66,358 376 371 371 
			 East Midlands 52,482 54,192 53,746 234 255 304 
			 West Midlands 70,098 71,726 71,042 379 403 413 
			 East 69,311 71,738 71,335 308 304 349 
			 London 125,505 127,651 129,245 781 730 701 
			 South East 101,238 104,023 103,669 475 471 476 
			 South West 57,003 58,742 58,338 239 264 280 
			 England 655,357 672,809 671,058 3,414 3,427 3,487 
		
	
	The final 2009 data in the table above were published in September 2010 and are available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/characteristics-of-births1.xls
	-see Tables 5 and 6. The data for 2007 and 2008 can be found in FM1 Birth Statistics no. 36 and 37 - see tables 7.1 and 7.6:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=5768

Civil Servants: Awards

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether there is any cost to the public purse of holding the annual Civil Service awards.

Francis Maude: The annual Civil Service Awards were introduced in 2006. The Cabinet Office does not hold information on the costs of the awards as these are met by the private publishing company Dods and its associated sponsors. The Cabinet Office has never paid for venue hire, speakers, refreshments or others costs associated with these awards.
	This year, the fifth anniversary of the awards, the ceremony will take place at Buckingham Palace. As in previous years, Dods and their associated sponsors will cover the costs of the ceremony. The awards ceremony will be followed by a reception given by her Majesty the Queen and the costs for this, in common with other receptions given by Her Majesty for official occasions, will be met from the civil list.

Departmental Drinking Water

Nick de Bois: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department has spent on bottled water in each year since 2008.

Francis Maude: This information is not separately identified and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Manpower

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many officials his Department has appointed on fixed-term contracts since 7 May 2010.

Francis Maude: Since 7 May to 11 October 2010, the Cabinet Office has made 26 fixed-term appointments.

Employment: Chester

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of the working population of City of Chester constituency is employed by the  (a) public and  (b) private sector.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of the working population of City of Chester constituency is employed by the (a) public and (b) private sector. (17355)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics for public sector employment from the Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey (QPSES) and external sources, as this provides a more accurate classification between the public and private sectors. However these figures are not available for parliamentary constituencies.
	The ONS compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. Individuals are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the APS. Consequently, the classification of an individual's sector may differ from how they would be classified in QPSES statistics.
	In the 12 month period April 2009 to March 2010, 71 per cent of the working population of the City of Chester constituency were employed by the private sector with the remaining 29 per cent employed in the public sector.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Government Departments: Procurement

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what exemptions from single tendering processes are allowed to Departments awarding contracts to external organisations.

Francis Maude: Government procurement policy requires that contracts be awarded to achieve value for money, through fair and open competition, in compliance with EU treaty principles and, where applicable, UK regulations implementing the EU procurement directives.
	Single tendering is allowed only in specific circumstances, for which I would refer the hon. Member to sections 6 and 14 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/5/regulation/6/made
	and
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/5/regulation/14/made
	In addition to these exemptions, very low-value ad hoc purchasing may sometimes be undertaken without specific competition, if it is more cost-effective to do so.

Government Departments: Work Experience

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps have been taken to broaden access to internships to under-represented minorities across Government departments; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office is currently appraising options to enable all Departments to provide internships, mindful of the requirement to provide such schemes cost-effectively.

National Citizenship Service

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what process he plans to follow to determine the skills to be offered under the National Citizen Service; and how civil society organisations can contribute to that process.

Nick Hurd: A commissioning process to select providers for National Citizen Service pilot schemes in summer 2011 was opened on 2 August. We expect to announce successful bidders shortly.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that National Citizen Service is a challenging and enjoyable experience for young people which equips them with skills to make a difference in their communities. It will be for NCS providers to define the precise activities young people will undertake on their schemes, within the parameters set out in the specification documents. As the programme progresses, my Department will continue to work with NCS providers on developing the content for training and skills development activities.

Older People

David Amess: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 16 September 2010,  Official Report, column 1222, on older people, for what reason estimates are not produced for the number of centenarians in each constituency and region; if he will make it his policy to produce such estimates for each health authority area; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office asking for what reason estimates are not produced for the number of centenarians in each constituency and region; if he will make it his policy to produce such estimates for each health authority area; and if he will make a statement. (017417).
	The Office for National Statistics publishes a mid-year population estimate for the age group 85 and over by constituencies, and age 90 and over by regions. They also publish estimates of the very elderly (including centenarians) for England and Wales combined.
	Mid-year estimates of centenarians are not produced for local areas such as constituencies or health authority areas because the numbers are small and they are not robust at that level of detail. The Office for National Statistics does not have any plans to produce estimates of the number of centenarians for subnational areas.

Personal Income

Ian Swales: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average income of  (a) a household and  (b) a single parent household was in (i) England, (ii) the North East and (iii) Redcar constituency in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck dated October 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the average income of a household and (b) a single parent household was in (i) England, (ii) the North East and (iii) Redcar constituency in the most recent year for which figures are available. (016539)
	Table 1 shows the estimated average net weekly equivalised household income in England, and the North East (both before and after housing costs) for the years 2006/07 to 2008/09 (as a three-year average, because regional single year estimates are subject to volatility) at 2008/09 prices, and similar income estimates for Redcar parliamentary constituency for 2007/08, at 2008/09 prices. These estimates are the latest available. Estimates for single-parent households for Redcar parliamentary constituency are not available.
	The estimates provided for England, and the North East, are based on data from the Households Below Average Income series produced by the Department for Work and Pensions, and small area statistics for Redcar parliamentary constituency produced by the ONS.
	These estimates, as with any involving sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Table 1: Average net weekly equivalised( 1)  household income( 2)  for all households and single-parent households,( 3)  Redcar parliamentary constituency, the North East, and England, 2006-07-2008-09( 4,5) 
			  £ per week 
			   All households  Single-parent households 
			   Median  Mean  Median  Mean 
			   Before housing costs  After housing costs  Before housing costs  After housing costs  Before housing costs  After housing costs  Before housing costs  After housing costs 
			 England 403 349 504 440 292 211 329 253 
			 North East 357 317 418 372 257 201 287 229 
			 Redcar - - 397 351 - - - - 
			 (1) Data are based on OECD equivalisation factors which account for variation in household size and composition between survey years. (2) Incomes are presented net of income tax payments, national insurance contributions and council tax. (3) Single-parent households have been defined as households where there is at least one family consisting of one adult and at least one dependent child. (4) Estimates for England, and the North East are presented as three-year averages in 2008-09 prices. Estimates for Redcar constituency (based on the 2010 parliamentary constituency boundaries) are for 2007-08 in 2008-09 prices. (5) Housing costs include rent (gross of housing benefit), water charges, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance, ground rent and service charges.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions and Office for National Statistics

Public Houses: Urban Areas

Simon Hart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he has made an estimate of the number of public houses in urban areas which have closed in the last 12 months.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the number of pubs in urban areas which have closed in the last 12 months.
	Annual statistics on the number of enterprise deaths are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	However, ONS does not produce information on enterprise deaths split into urban and rural areas. The table below contains the latest statistics available, which show enterprise deaths in the UK in 2008 for public houses and bars.
	
		
			  2008 enterprise deaths in the UK for public houses and bars 
			 Number 7,390

Social Enterprises: Finance

Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what support his Department provides for people to  (a) establish micro social enterprises and  (b) connect with existing social enterprise networks.

Nick Hurd: Social enterprises of all sizes have an essential role to play in empowering individuals and communities to take control and create the big society. This Government are committed to supporting people to establish social enterprises, including micro social enterprises, by making it easier to run one, getting more resources into the sector, and making it easier for social enterprises to work with the state.
	To help make it easier to set up and run a social enterprise, the joint Cabinet Office, Department for Business Innovation and Skills task force on cutting red tape is looking at how to reduce bureaucratic burdens and free up time and resources for social enterprises. To get more resources into the sector, the big society bank will be set up with money from dormant bank accounts to build a more sustainable way of financing organisations such as social enterprises, ready to play their part in the big society. And, to make it easier for social enterprises to work with the state and connect with existing social enterprise networks, the Office for Civil Society Strategic Partner's programme provides social enterprise support organisations with the resources they need to support their membership and to represent their voice to government.

Social Enterprises: Renewable Energy

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether funds from the Big Society Bank will be available to social enterprises which operate community-owned renewable energy schemes.

Nick Hurd: The Big Society Bank will be a wholesale institution with funds being used to assist or enable other organisations to give financial or other support to social enterprises, charities and voluntary and community organisations. The bank may invest in social enterprises which operate community-owned energy schemes, through investment intermediaries rather than directly.

Social Enterprises: West Midlands

Chris White: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many social enterprises were started in  (a) Warwick and Leamington constituency,  (b) Warwickshire and  (c) the West Midlands in each year since 2000.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many new social enterprises were started in (a) Warwick and Leamington constituency, (b) Warwickshire and (c) the West Midlands in each year since 2000.
	Information on social enterprises is not available. Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births are available by geographical area from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk

Third Sector: Regulation

Richard Burden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what mechanisms are in place for monitoring compliance by individual local authorities with the provisions of the Compact on relations with the Voluntary and Community Sector;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of the Compact to encouraging good relations between local authorities and voluntary organisations in their areas.

Nick Hurd: The Compact, published in December 2009, is an agreement between central Government and the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. Local Compacts, which are agreed locally between the local statutory sector and the local VCSE, make an important contribution to encouraging good relations between local authorities and voluntary organisations.
	Compact Voice, supported by the Cabinet Office, offers practical help and guidance to local areas on how to get their Local Compacts working effectively. They also share best practice across England on how to improve partnerships between public bodies and the VCSE sector.
	Local Compacts must remain a local priority, negotiated and agreed according to local needs. All 152 top tier authorities have voluntarily agreed Local Compacts with their local VCSE sector.

Unemployment

Iain Wright: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in  (a) Hartlepool constituency,  (b) the North East and  (c) England had been unemployed for more than six months in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people in  (a) Hartlepool constituency,  (b) the North East and  (c) England had been unemployed for more than six months in each of the last five years. (16622)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics in line with International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS).
	Table 1 shows the number of persons who have been unemployed for more than 6 months in England and the North East, from the APS, for the 12 month periods ending December from 2005 to 2009 and for the 12 month period ending March 2010, which is the latest available estimate. However, due to the small sample size, no reliable estimate is available for the Hartlepool constituency.
	As an alternative, in table 2, we have provided the number of persons claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for more than 6 months in the Hartlepool constituency, along with the numbers for England and the North East, for December of each year from 2005 to 2009.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons unemployed for more than six months 
			   Thousand 
			   England  North East  Hartlepool 
			  12 months ending
			 December 2005 436 27 n/a 
			 December 2006 537 35 n/a 
			 December 2007 556 32 n/a 
			 December 2008 588 38 n/a 
			 December 2009 869 58 n/a 
			 March 2010 *953 **64 ****n/a 
			 n/a = Not available 1. Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality as follows.  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV-for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220  KeyCoefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical Robustness *0 = CV<5  Estimates are considered precise **  5 = CV <10  Estimates are considered reasonably precise ***10 = CV <20 Estimates are considered acceptable ****  CV ? 20Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes  Source:  Annual Population Survey

Vacancies

Duncan Hames: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many of the 467,000 unfilled vacancies identified by the Office for National Statistics vacancy survey in the three months to August 2010 were  (a) full-time,  (b) part-time and  (c) temporary.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many of the 467,000 unfilled vacancies identified by the Office for National Statistics vacancy survey in the three months to August 2010 were (a) full-time, (b) part-time and (c) temporary. (016729)
	The Vacancy Survey asks businesses for the number of vacancies that they are actively seeking to fill from outside their organisation. However, it does not collect any information on whether these vacancies are full-time, part-time, permanent or temporary.
	An alternative source of vacancy information is administrative data from Jobcentre Plus. This source has partial coverage, only collecting information on vacancies that are registered with Jobcentre Plus. In August 2010, Jobcentre Plus had 280,000 unfilled vacancies in their system, of which 75% were full-time and 25% part-time. Information is not available on how many of the vacancies related to permanent or temporary work.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

HEALTH

Arthritis

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish on his Department's website links to information on the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis for patients and clinicians which has been drawn up by the Rheumatology Futures Group.

Paul Burstow: The Department will publish on its website a link to the information on the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis drawn up by the Rheumatology Futures Project Group. This will be accessible at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Electivecare/index.htm

Arthritis: Health Services

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the ability of GP consortia to commission rheumatoid arthritis services appropriately.

Simon Burns: The White Paper 'Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS' set out our proposals to devolve power and responsibility for commissioning services to local consortia of general practitioner (GP) practices.
	GPs play a crucial role in co-ordinating patient care and committing national health service resources through daily clinical decisions. Our proposals for this new model of commissioning draw on the regular contact that GPs have with patients and their more detailed understanding of patients' wider health care needs.
	We propose that GP consortia will be responsible for commissioning the great majority of NHS services. We will expect consortiums to involve relevant health and social care professionals from all sectors in helping design care pathways or care packages that achieve more integrated delivery of care, higher quality, and more efficient use of NHS resources. This will create an effective dialogue across all health and, where appropriate, social care professionals.
	To support GP consortiums in their commissioning decisions, we will also create an independent NHS Commissioning Board.
	'Liberating the NHS: Commissioning for Patients' invited views on a number of areas of the commissioning agenda. The engagement exercise closed on 11 October and the Department is now analysing all of the contributions received.

Big Drink Debate

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS staff attended each Big Drink Debate event; and at what cost to the public purse.

Anne Milton: Attendance by national health service staff at events linked to regional Big Drink Debates was as follows:
	London: One event was attended by six NHS staff.
	West midlands: 16 events were attended by a total of 48 NHS staff.
	North-west: One event was attended by 50 NHS staff.
	North-east: Two events were attended by a total of 44 NHS staff.
	South-east: Two events but NHS staff attended in their own time.
	The Yorkshire and Humber and the east midlands regions also held events but do not hold records of NHS staff attendance. The east of England and south-west regions did not hold any Big Drink Debate events.
	It is not possible to calculate the cost to the taxpayer of NHS staff attendance at these events.

Dementia

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what funding his Department has allocated for expenditure on dementia services in 2010-11; and under what budgetary headings he expects such expenditure to be incurred;
	(2)  what recent assessment his Department has made of progress in the implementation of each objective of the National Dementia Strategy for England.

Paul Burstow: The Department does not break down primary care trust (PCT) allocations by policies, at either the national or local level. It is for PCTs to decide their priorities for investment locally. The revised NHS Operating Framework issued in June 2010 made clear that PCTs and their partners should publish how they are implementing the National Dementia Strategy to increase local accountability for prioritisation. This is to support a move away from central command to local determination.

Dementia

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with NHS trusts on the distribution of funding provided through the National Dementia Strategy; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much the NHS has spent on dementia services in  (a) Gloucestershire and  (b) England in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: No discussions have taken place with national health service trusts specifically on the distribution of funding for dementia services. The Department does not break down primary care trust (PCT) allocations by policies, at either the national or local level. It is for PCTs to decide their priorities for investment locally. Information is not held centrally on expenditure on dementia services, either in Gloucestershire or England as a whole. However, the NHS Information Centre is currently undertaking an audit of dementia services in England, the results of which are expected to be available in November.

Dementia

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether he expects implementation of the National Dementia Strategy to include steps to improve the quality of care for people with alcohol-related dementia;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the implementation of the National Dementia Strategy on the quality of care provided for people diagnosed with alcohol-related dementia.

Paul Burstow: Implementation of the National Dementia Strategy should benefit all people with the condition, including those with alcohol-related dementia. The Strategy states that the risk of dementia may be reduced if we protect our general health, including drinking less alcohol. Information on the quality of care provided for people diagnosed with alcohol-related dementia is not collected centrally.

Dementia

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department provided for medical research into dementia in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10; and what percentage of his Department's health research budget this represented in each such year.

Paul Burstow: The expenditure figures for the Department are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Estimated expenditure on dementia research 
			   Proportion of total expenditure from research and development revenue budget (percentage)  £ million 
			 2007-08 2.9 22.2 
			 2008-09 2.2 18.4 
			 2009-10 1.4 12.7

Departmental Manpower

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff are currently employed by his Department, broken down by  (a) grade and  (b) age; and how many were so employed in (i) 1980, (ii) 1983, (iii) 1987, (iv) 1992, (v) 1997, (vi) 2001 and (vii) 2005.

Simon Burns: Information about how many staff are employed by the Department, broken down by grade and age, is included in the Civil Service Statistics published on the Cabinet Office's website at:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/resources/stats-archive/archived-reports.aspx

Departmental NDPBs

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the statement of 14 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 505-06, on public bodies reform, what the functions of the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens are; which of these functions are to be retained; and which bodies he proposes to have responsibility for fulfilling these functions.

Anne Milton: The functions of the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP) are outlined in the current terms of reference:
	"To advise the Health and Safety Executive, and Ministers for the Department of Health and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and their counterparts under devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as required, on all aspects of hazards and risks to workers and others from exposure to pathogens".
	All the functions of the ACDP will be retained and, following its reconstitution as departmental committee of experts, ACDP will continue to be responsible for the fulfilling of those functions.

Departmental NDPBs

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the statement of 14 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 505-06, on public bodies reform, what the functions of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition are; which of these functions are to be retained; and which bodies he proposes to have responsibility for fulfilling these functions.

Anne Milton: The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) provides advice to the Food Standards Agency and United Kingdom Health Departments as well as other Government agencies and Departments. Its remit includes matters concerning nutrient content of individual foods, advice on diet and the nutritional status of people. The remit/function of SACN will remain unchanged, following its reconstitution into a departmental committee of experts. Once the change is enacted SACN will continue to be responsible for the remit/function but as a departmental committee of experts.

Departmental Recruitment

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to recruit staff to senior Civil Service posts in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: A recruitment freeze is currently in place, which affects external recruitment into the civil service, with exemptions allowed for business critical and frontline posts so not to jeopardise frontline delivery. The Fast Stream graduate programme is also exempt.
	In addition to the recruitment freeze, staffing plans will not be finalised until after the spending review, when the impact on Departments will be made clearer.
	As a result, there is only one planned senior recruitment in the pipeline and that is for the role of Chief Medical Officer. The appointment process will follow the protocol, drawn up by the Senior Leadership Committee and the Civil Service Commissioners, which outlines the process in which appointments to and within the Top 200 (the most senior posts in the civil service) are handled.

Diabetes: Young People

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to reduce the number of children and young people at high risk of potentially preventable complications of diabetes.

Paul Burstow: It is vital that children with diabetes get good quality clinical care and that health and education services work in partnership to ensure that children can be supported while living a full, active life.
	NHS Diabetes, the national service improvement team for diabetes, has developed a commissioning toolkit, which will assist in the commissioning of local services for children and young people with diabetes. It has also established a Paediatric Diabetes Network in each of the strategic health authority (SHA) regions to drive improvements in the services delivered to children and young people with diabetes.
	NHS Diabetes is also working on various projects to improve the care of children and young people with diabetes. They include:
	producing materials for children and young people and their families to help educate them about managing the condition as it progresses. This work is still in the early stages of development, but is being built upon the developing evidence base from a number of relevant clinical studies;
	the establishment of a Paediatric Diabetes Network in each of the SHA regions to drive improvements in the services delivered to children and young people with diabetes. The aim of the paediatric networks is to define a clear philosophy of care, which incorporates improving outcomes and quality of life for children and young people living with diabetes; and
	running a task and finish group which is developing work on health care professional training and education; and children and young people and families education. The health care professional work is with the royal colleges and others to influence standards and agree required competencies and new curriculums, which reflect good practice publishing a Commissioning Care Guide, this sets out the appropriate emotional and psychological care interventions for each facet of diabetes care. This is of particular relevance for children and young people to enable them tackle the challenges of their conditions and care for themselves effectively from day to day.

General Practitioners: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 September 2010,  Official Report, columns 1110-11W, on general practitioners: finance, what funding formula the NHS Commissioning Board will use to allocate money to general practitioner consortia.

Simon Burns: For 2013-14 onwards, the NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for the fair and efficient use of resources in the national health service. The board will make allocations to general practitioner (GP) consortia on the basis of securing equivalent access to NHS services in all areas, relative to the prospective burden of disease and disability.
	The detail of how resources are allocated to GP Consortia will be a matter for the Commissioning Board. However, the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation has been asked by the Secretary of State to continue to provide advice on the equitable distribution of NHS resources during the transition to the board.
	Shadow allocations to GP Consortia will be published in late 2011 for 2012-13, and actual allocations for 2013-14 in late 2012.

Haematological Cancer

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of patients with a haematological cancer who receive chemotherapy  (a) in total and  (b) at home.

Paul Burstow: For 2008-09, the number of finished consultant episodes where the primary diagnosis was haematological cancer and where chemotherapy was provided was 96,505.
	This data is for those treated in national health service hospitals or in the independent sector, commissioned by the NHS. This figure does not reflect an exact count of people as the same person may have been admitted on more than one occasion.
	Information for those who received treatment at home is not held centrally.

Haematological Cancer

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what his most recent estimate is on the average length of hospital stay for people with haematological cancers after  (a) elective and  (b) emergency admissions;
	(2)  how many  (a) admissions,  (b) emergency admissions and  (c) bed days there were for (i) all haematological cancers, (ii) all leukaemias, (iii) Hodgkin lymphoma, (iv) non-Hodgkin lymphoma, (v) myeloma, (vi) malignant immunoproliferative diseases and (vii) each other haematological cancer in each (A) primary care trust and (B) cancer network in the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: Information on the average length of hospital stay for those with a primary diagnosis of haematological cancer for elective and emergency admissions during 2008-09 has been placed in the Library.
	Information on the number of admissions, emergency admissions and bed days there were for all haematological cancers, all leukaemias, Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, myeloma, malignant immunoproliferative diseases and each other haematological cancer in each primary care for 2008-09, the latest period for which figures are available, has been placed in the Library. This figure does not represent a count of people as the same person may have been admitted on more than one occasion. Information at cancer network level is not held centrally.

Haematological Cancer

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he made of the cost to the public purse of  (a) surgical interventions,  (b) complex radiotherapy,  (c) chemotherapy and  (d) stem cell transplants for patients with haematological cancers (i) in each primary care trust, (ii) in each cancer network and (iii) nationally in the latest year for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: Information on the cost of surgical interventions, complex radiotherapy, chemotherapy and stem cell transplants for patients with haematological cancers, in each primary care trust (PCT), in each cancer network and nationally, cannot be provided in the format requested.
	An estimate of the cost of treating haematological cancer for 2008-09, the most recent year for which figures are available, for each PCT, each cancer network and nationally, has been placed in the Library.
	Expenditure on complex radiotherapy or chemotherapy is included within the cancer, other subcategory. This is because there is insufficient information within the coding to map these costs to a specific cancer subcategory.

Heart Diseases

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate his Department has made of the appropriate number of implantations of  (a) pacemakers and  (b) implantable cardiac defibrillators per million of population.

Simon Burns: The Department does not make any estimates of the appropriate number of implantations of pacemakers and implantable cardiac defibrillators. It is for local commissioners to decide what local services to fund depending on the priorities around their local population.
	However, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's technology appraisal guidance on Implantable cardioverter defibrillators for arrhythmias (TA95) sets out current thinking on good practice in this area. A copy of this can be found at:
	http://guidance.nice.org.uk/TA95

Insulin

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will assess the contribution of insulin pump therapy use to improving the quality of life of people with type 1 diabetes;
	(2)  if he will take steps to increase the level of use of insulin pumps as a treatment for type one diabetes.

Paul Burstow: For those people with diabetes who have been identified by their healthcare professional as being suitable for insulin pump therapy, we would not expect there to be any unnecessary delays in the provision of insulin pumps.
	The National Clinical Director for Diabetes, Dr Rowan Hillson MBE is chairing a working group to specifically focus on the uptake of insulin pumps, which will meet shortly.
	In July 2008, the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued a review of its guidance on insulin pump therapy, which is supported by separate guidance on the commissioning of insulin pump services. Implementation of the NICE guidance is the responsibility of commissioners and/or providers.
	While insulin pump therapy can make a difference to glycaemic control and quality of life in some people, it is not appropriate for everyone. Therefore, all decisions about insulin pump therapy and the means of delivering it must be made in consultation between the person with diabetes (and/or their parents or carer) and their healthcare professional.
	It is not the role of the Department to assess the impact of medical technologies.

Midwives: Age

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the age profile is of midwives employed by the NHS.

Anne Milton: The age profile of midwives employed in the national health service in England is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Midwives by age as at 30 September 2009 
			  Age  Headcount 
			 Under 25 710 
			 25-29 2,175 
			 30-34 2,641 
			 35-39 2,900 
			 40-44 4,490 
			 45-49 5,014 
			 50-54 3,591 
			 55-59 1,890 
			 60-64 770 
			 65 and over 132 
			 Unknown(1) 2,138 
			 (1) Data on the age of bank staff are not available.  Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census

National Stroke Strategy

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to review progress on implementation of the National Stroke Strategy.

Simon Burns: Progress with implementation of the stroke strategy is kept under regular review. The Department receives information, data and feedback from a number of independent sources such as the Stroke Sentinel Audit and the Stroke Improvement National Audit Programme. The national health service reports on a Tier 1 Vital Sign and all strategic health authorities monitor progress with implementation of the strategy. In addition, in February the National Audit Office published a comprehensive report on progress in improving stroke care following the launch of the stroke strategy in 2007.

NHS: Accountability

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statutory duties are placed upon local authority health overview and scrutiny committees; and which such duties they will retain in 2014.

Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Act 2001 states that each local authority must have a committee that is able to undertake the health overview and scrutiny role. The role comprises of two elements:
	(a) To be consulted by national health service bodies on any proposals for substantial developments of the health service in the area of a local authority, or for a substantial variation in the provision of such service; and
	(b) To be able to take an overview, and then scrutinise health and well-being issues that are a priority to local people.
	Following the recent consultation on the White Paper-Equity and Excellence-and the proposals contained in Local Democratic Legitimacy, and in light of feedback received, the Government are considering the way forward for health scrutiny and the balance of powers and duties on local authorities.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the statement of 14 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 505-06, on public bodies reform, how many staff are employed by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition; how many such staff will be transferred to  (a) his Department and  (b) new bodies; how many such staff will be made redundant; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of redundancy payments for these staff.

Anne Milton: The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition do not employ staff, therefore there will be no redundancies or associated redundancy costs. The secretariat for the committee is provided by the Department. A secretariat function will continue to be provided for the reconstituted committee of experts.

Respiratory Diseases

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of regional variations in the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Gateshead (Ian Mearns) on 14 October 2010,  Official Report, column 394W.

Smoking

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the exercise by local authorities of powers restricting smoking in public places.

Anne Milton: Local councils exercise power to restrict smoking in public places in accordance with the guidance for council regulatory officers-'Implementation of smokefree legislation in England', which was compiled by local government regulation (formerly LACORS), the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) and the Trading Standards Institute.
	The evidence indicates that the exercise of these powers has been particularly successful in achieving the objectives of the legislation, compliance with the regulations and the protection of people from the harm done by second-hand tobacco smoke, with minimal burden on businesses. During 2006 and early 2007 the Department funded training for local authority officers and for businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector, to assist with the smooth implementation of the regulations. The training carried out by the CIEH was widely recognised at the time as making a significant contribution to the successful implementation of the smokefree law.

Social Services: Regulation

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to consult social workers on proposed changes to arrangements for their registrations.

Paul Burstow: The proposed changes to the arrangements for the registration of social workers were announced in July 2010 as part of the Department's arm's-length bodies review Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS. This review contains indicative timescales for implementation, which will require primary legislation and be subject to the legislative timetable.
	More detailed plans will be developed in discussion with all interested parties, including the Social Work Reform Board. These plans will be determined by the need to maintain public protection, professional confidence and ensure that people are treated fairly and with respect.

Social Services: Regulation

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that the proposed new body for the regulation of social workers include the term social work in its title.

Paul Burstow: An oversight group has been established to support the transfer of General Social Care Council (GSCC) functions to the Health Professions Council (HPC). This group which includes the chief executives of both the GSCC and the HPC has been asked to advise Ministers on an appropriate name for the new organisation.
	The Social Work Reform Board and other key partners in the sector are being engaged in discussions about the transfer, including the name of the new of body. However, it will ultimately be for Parliament to approve any proposed new name.

Strokes

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice is provided to carers and families of people who have had a stroke on  (a) dietary requirements and  (b) future stroke prevention following their discharge from hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The stroke strategy launched in December 2007, sets out 20 'quality markers' which outline the features of high quality stroke care. This includes what advice and support should be given to stroke survivors and their carers/families on the prevention of recurrent stroke through life-style interventions, such as the key components of a healthy diet, when they are discharged from hospital to the community.

Strokes

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what research his Department has commissioned on  (a) strokes and  (b) related conditions in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether his Department has commissioned recent research on the repair and replacement of dead brain cells in people following a stroke; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what research his Department has commissioned on the  (a) causes and  (b) prevention of stroke since 1990; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) clinical research network is currently providing national health service research infrastructure support to 161 studies in stroke and a range of studies on related conditions. Details can be found on the UK Clinical Research Network portfolio database at:
	http://public.ukcrn.org.uk/search/Portfolio.aspx?Levell=6
	Records of individual NHS supported research projects collected up to September 2007, including details of projects on causes, prevention, and other aspects of stroke and on related conditions, are available on the archived national research register (NRR) at:
	https://portal.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/NRRArchiveSearch.aspx
	The NRR evolved out of a pilot project in 1998. Some of the records in the pilot referred to projects from the early 1990s and these were incorporated into the register.
	Two of the NIHR's biomedical research centres are undertaking research relating to therapies for neurodegeneration following stroke.

Strokes

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken since 1990 to increase the standard of healthcare for people who have had a stroke; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: In line with advances in medicine and technology, the Department recognised the importance of improving stroke services and included specific milestones, targets and actions in the National Service Framework (NSF) for Older People launched in March 2001.
	The national Stroke Strategy, launched in 2007, set out a comprehensive approach to the provision of stroke care with quality markers covering all aspects of stroke care from prevention and awareness through to long-term care in the community. It was accompanied by central funding over the three years 2008-09 to 2010-11 to support specific early aspects of implementation. Over the same period there was an annual increase in primary care trust allocations, among other things, to reflect the cost of implementing the strategy.
	To implement the strategy, the Department established the Stroke Improvement Programme and 28 stroke care networks. They are currently delivering the Accelerating Stroke Improvement programme which aims to help local areas to continue to improve stroke care.
	The coalition Government are committed to supporting continued improvement in stroke care and their long-term goal is to see stroke services in this country become among the best in the world.

Strokes

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what aftercare is provided on discharge from hospital to people who have had a stroke; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The national stroke strategy launched in December 2007, sets out 20 'quality markers' which outline features of high quality stroke care across the pathway from prevention and awareness to life-long support in the community. A copy of the strategy has already been placed in the Library. Chapter 3, 'Life after stroke', sets out the wide range of support someone may need after a stroke. The range of support can include speech therapy, psychological support, physiotherapy, access to leisure, education, activities and work, accessible and aphasia-friendly information and support groups and help-lines.
	A recent National Audit Office report on stroke services noted that more improvement was needed on the post acute and longer term care part of the pathway. The Accelerating Stroke Improvement programme is therefore encouraging local areas to focus on improving arrangements for joint care plans, for six month and subsequent reviews and for access to psychological support. These measures offer opportunities for assessing the needs of stroke survivors and their carers. Meeting those needs more effectively will, over time, improve outcomes for people post-stroke.

Strokes

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he made of the number of  (a) men and  (b) women in each age group in each health authority area who had a stroke at each level of severity in each of the last three years.

Simon Burns: The data in the table, which has been placed in the Library, include the number of finished consultant episodes where there was a primary or secondary diagnosis of stroke. This has been broken down by gender for age groups 64 years and under; 65 to 75 years old and 76 years and above, and by strategic health authority of residence from 2006-07 to 2008-09.
	Information is not collected centrally on the severity of stroke.
	 Note
	The data do not represent the number of different patients since a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. The data may in some years not total to the published finished consultant episodes for stroke since the data provided do not include episodes where the sex of the patient was not specified or not known. Patients who die before reaching hospital or who are not admitted to hospital are not counted in the data.

Tobacco: Sales

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to prevent children from viewing tobacco displays; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Government are currently considering regulations, including the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion (Display) (England) Regulations 2010, and developing options around the display of tobacco in shops that seek to ensure an appropriate balance between public health priorities and burdens on business.

JUSTICE

Alternatives To Prison

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for future funding of the intensive alternative to custody programme for offenders in Derbyshire.

Crispin Blunt: At present there are no plans to extend central funding for IAC beyond the end of the current financial year.
	The Derbyshire scheme is 50% funded from the original pilot fund and 50% from the Regional Director of Offender Management. The pilot will end in Derbyshire once the capacity for commencements is reached. The target for this financial year is 80 commencements and approximately 50 have been achieved to date. Therefore, it is anticipated that the IAC pilot will have reached capacity in December 2010 after which time no further recommendations for IAC will be made to the Courts. This will allow existing IAC orders to be completed within the present funding arrangements.
	Locally, options are being explored to maintain some key elements of IAC through partnership arrangements but the Probation Trust is not able to continue to provide IAC within existing resources.

Coroners and Justice Act 2009

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the implementation of section 155 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, with particular reference to the allocation of funds recovered under that provision;
	(2)  when he plans to bring into force section 155 and related provisions of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.

Crispin Blunt: Part 7 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (Criminal Memoirs etc.) was commenced by the previous Administration on 6 April 2010 and applies throughout the United Kingdom. It created a civil scheme whereby the High Courts in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Court of Session in Scotland, can make certain offenders the subject of an "exploitation proceeds order". The offender may be ordered to pay the value of any benefit derived from the exploitation of material about the commission of serious offences to the relevant enforcement authority. Section 155(7) states that any sum received by an enforcement authority pursuant to an 'exploitation proceeds order' must be paid into the Consolidated Fund (or the Scottish Consolidated Fund where the scheme is operated in Scotland).

David Kelly Death Inquiry

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what dates  (a) he and  (b) officials of his Department have held meetings relating to the death of Dr David Kelly since his appointment; and who was present at each such meeting.

Kenneth Clarke: I have discussed matters relating to Dr David Kelly in a meeting with Nicola Blackwood MP on 21 July, Lord Hutton on 7 September and in routine meetings with the Attorney-General during which we discuss a range of issues. In order to support me on this matter, officials have met to discuss this issue as and when necessary.

Defamation: Legal Aid

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of civil legal aid which is spent on libel cases.

Jonathan Djanogly: Libel cases are out of scope and are therefore not covered by legal aid.

Departmental Manpower

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) officials of his Department and  (b) external advisers are working on his Department's review of short sentences.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice is conducting a full assessment of sentencing to ensure that it is effective in deterring crime, protecting the public, punishing offenders and reducing reoffending.
	A small team within the Ministry of Justice has been working on the assessment, including five people full-time. This team is formed by officials based in existing criminal policy teams within the Ministry of Justice. The team has been supported by other officials across the Ministry of Justice as part of their other duties.
	There are no advisers external to Government working on the assessment of sentencing. We have been consulting informally among a wide range of people and organisations, and we will publish proposals for public consultation in a Green Paper on rehabilitation and sentencing later this autumn.

Departmental Work Experience

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many interns his Department has engaged in the last 12 months; and how many were  (a) unpaid,  (b) remunerated with expenses only and  (c) paid at the rate of the national minimum wage or above.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice has engaged 25 interns in the last 12 months. Of these, 22 were paid at a salary of £22,755 pa (the entry level for the first management grade). Three were part-time students engaged through specific schemes run by their educational institutions as part of their studies. These were unpaid.

Pleural Plaques

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects his Department to begin making payments in respect of pleural plaques; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The extra-statutory scheme, which was set up to provide one-off payments of £5000 to individuals who had begun but not resolved a legal claim for compensation for pleural plaques at the time of the House of Lords judgment, opened for applications on 2 August 2010.
	Further details about eligibility for the scheme and how to apply are available from:
	https://pleuralplaques.justice.gov.uk
	or by telephoning the helpline number on 0300 303 8150. Applications can be made through the website or by phone, and all applications must be received by 1 August 2011 to be eligible for payment under the scheme.

Prison Escapes

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what proportion of prisoners absconded from  (a) Prescoed Prison, Usk and  (b) each other open prison in 2009;
	(2)  how many of the prisoners who absconded from Prescoed Prison, Usk in the last six months had been convicted of crimes which included violent behaviour;
	(3)  how many prisoners have absconded from Prescoed Prison, Usk in the last six months.

Crispin Blunt: The number of prisoners absconding from each open prison in 2009 is shown in the following table. It is not possible to represent this as a proportion without knowing the throughput of prisoners in each prison over the year period. Whilst figures on numbers of prisoners in a prison at any point in time are held centrally, data on throughput of prisoners is not held centrally and it would incur disproportionate cost to ask each open prison to calculate this figure.
	There has been one abscond from HMP Prescoed/Usk relating to a prisoner convicted of violent crime between 1 March 2010 and 30 September 2010.
	There have been two absconds from HMP Prescoed/Usk between 1 March 2010 and 30 September 2010.
	The number of absconds has decreased year on year. In the financial year 2006-07 there were 555 absconds whilst in 2008-09 there were 363.
	Recapture rates remain high at 96%. Figures for 2009-10 are due to be published later this year.
	
		
			  Table: Absconds from prisons in England and Wales-January to December 2009 
			  Establishment  Number of absconds 
			 Askham Grange 3 
			 Dover 2 
			 East Sutton Park 1 
			 Ford 33 
			 Grendon 22 
			 Moorland 23 
			 Hewell 17 
			 Hollesley Bay 12 
			 Kirkham 12 
			 Kirklevington 4 
			 Leyhill 38 
			 Lindholme 1 
			 North Sea Camp 13 
			 Norwich (Britten House Open Element) 3 
			 Prescoed 3 
			 Standford Hill 19 
			 Sudbury 30 
			 Thorn Cross 39 
			  Note: These figures have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

Prisons: Food

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of food supplied to prisons under contracts negotiated by the National Offender Management Service was domestically produced in the latest period for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The most recent information is supplied to the Ministry of Justice (including public sector prisons in England and Wales) by prime food contractors under contracts negotiated by HM Prison Service, now part of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  Bakery (September 9 - October 10)  
			 Bread loaves and rolls 100 
			  Dairy (September 9 - October 10)  
			 Whole Eggs (in shells) 100 
			 Fresh milk (whole, semi-skimmed, skimmed) 100 
			 Cheese 93 
			  Fresh vegetables, salads and fruit (September 9 October 10)  
			 Ware potatoes (whole and unprepared) 98 
			 Processed potatoes (whole and cut) 100 
			 Roots and onions (carrots, parsnips, onions, turnips and swedes) 54 
			 Brassicas (Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower) 99 
			 Legumes (beans broad, beans runner and dwarf, peas (green for market), peas (green for processing), peas (harvested dry) n/a 
			 Protected vegetables (tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, celery and sweet peppers) 3 
			 Other vegetables (asparagus, leeks, watercress, mushrooms) 70 
			 Orchard fruit (dessert apples, culinary apples, pears and plums) 0 
			  (1)100 
			 Soft fruits (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blackcurrants) 20 
			  Frozen meat and poultry (April 8 March 9)  
			 Poultry meat 2 
			 Beef and veal 46 
			 Mutton and lamb 65 
			 Bacon 0 
			 Pork 18 
			 Fish 83 
			 (1) 100% applies to all culinary apples purchased

Probation

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the likely effects on  (a) Probation Service staff numbers and  (b) prisoners in Greater London of Probation Service spending reductions of (i) 10, (ii) 20 and (iii) 30 per cent;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the likely effects on prisoner numbers in London of Probation Service spending reductions of  (a) 10,  (b) 20 and  (c) 30 per cent;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the  (a) caseload of Greater London Probation Service and  (b) provision by that service of court reports and supervision of people on parole licences of Probation Service spending reductions of (i) 10, (ii) 20 and (iii) 30 per cent.

Crispin Blunt: Like other public bodies, London Probation Trust must seek to use public funds in as effective a way as possible. As part of that, they must apply rigorous financial controls and undertake financial planning against a range of factors. These include, not only their overall budget, but also changes to the number of offenders requiring supervision, the effectiveness of interventions, and offending patterns. The Director of Offender Management for London, who commissions the services provided by London Probation Trust, will finalise the negotiations with them in the light of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review. These discussions will stress the need to ensure that front line activities are delivered as efficiently as possible and that HQ and support costs are minimised.

Prosecutions: Convictions

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions there have been for offences under section 32(1) of the Chiropractors Act 1994 in each year since 2000.

Crispin Blunt: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under Section 32 of the Chiropractors Act 1994, England and Wales 2000 to 2008 (latest available) are shown in the table.
	Data for 2009 will be published on 21 October 2010.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty( 1,2)  at all courts for offences under Section 32 of the Chiropractors Act 1994, England and Wales 2000 to 2008 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 2000(3) - - 
			 2001 - - 
			 2002 - - 
			 2003 - - 
			 2004 - - 
			 2005 - - 
			 2006 2 1 
			 2007 2 2 
			 2008(4) - - 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Staffordshire Police Force were only able to supply a sample of data for magistrates courts proceedings covering one full week in each quarter for 2000. Estimates based on this sample are included in the figures as they are considered sufficiently robust at this high level of analysis. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice

Trials: Administrative delays

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the likely effects on  (a) caseload,  (b) processing times and  (c) the number of adjournments in courts in Greater London of HM Courts Service spending reductions of (i) 10, (ii) 20 and (iii) 30 per cent.

Jonathan Djanogly: No assessment has been made of the potential effects of spending reductions on courts in London. The Government are committed to ensuring that there is an efficient and effective justice system. The impact of potential spending reductions on HM Courts Service cannot be assessed until the announcement of the outcome of the spending review.
	 Answers received for publication Tuesday 19 October 2010

Prisoner Activities

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to increase the proportion of time that prisoners spend in purposeful activity.

Crispin Blunt: The Government are committed to overhauling the system of rehabilitation and we will set out our intentions in a forthcoming Green Paper.
	We believe that custodial and community sentences should punish offenders, but they should also be productive - focused on getting offenders into work, off drugs and contributing to society.
	We are exploring how prisoners could spend more of their time doing productive, meaningful work. As part of this we are looking to expand the prisoner working week to up to 40 hours.

Welfare Benefit Cases: Legal Aid

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on legal aid in respect of defendants in cases involving welfare benefits in each year since 2007.

Jonathan Djanogly: There are no legally aided defendants in welfare benefits cases. Those responding to such cases would usually be a central or local government department, such as the Department for Work and Pensions.
	Legal aid is available for advice, though not normally for representation, on welfare benefits matters, including for individuals appealing to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. During the financial year 2007-08 expenditure on legal aid for welfare benefits matters was £22.3 million, in 2008-09 it was £24.8 million and in 2009-10 it was £28.3 million.

Welfare Benefit Cases: Legal Aid

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on legal aid in respect of defendants in cases involving welfare benefits in each year since 2007.

Jonathan Djanogly: There are no legally aided defendants in welfare benefits cases. Those responding to such cases would usually be a central or local government department, such as the Department for Work and Pensions.
	Legal aid is available for advice, though not normally for representation, on welfare benefits matters, including for individuals appealing to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. During the financial year 2007-08 expenditure on legal aid for welfare benefits matters was £22.3 million, in 2008-09 it was £24.8 million and in 2009-10 it was £28.3 million.

Crown Court Sentencing Survey

Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Crown Court sentencing survey forms in assisting judges in their sentencing duties.

Crispin Blunt: The Crown Court Sentencing Survey is being conducted by the Sentencing Council. It is essential to enable the Sentencing Council to fulfil its statutory responsibilities to prepare guidelines, monitor their use and assess impact. It will help the Council to produce guidelines that will provide greater assistance to judges.

Prison Service Staff: Training

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the provision of training for prison service staff on the management of offenders with mental health conditions.

Crispin Blunt: Ministry of Justice and Department of Health ministers and senior officials discuss offender health issues regularly. Over 17,000 prison officers received mental health awareness training between 2006 and 2009. A new mental health training framework was launched in 2009-2010, which regional offender health teams now co-ordinate.

Prison Building Programme

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for the future of the prison building programme; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice is committed to publishing a Green Paper on Rehabilitation and Sentencing, consulting on our longer term plans for offender management. As a consequence the Ministry will re-evaluate its strategy for prison capacity.

Magistrates Courts

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to increase the administrative efficiency of magistrates' courts.

Jonathan Djanogly: Significant efficiencies have already been made through the implementation of the Criminal Justice Simple Speedy Summary (CJSSS) programme in the magistrates courts. This programme has improved timeliness of cases and reduced the number of hearings per case. HMCS continues to improve administration efficiency within the magistrates courts through the introduction of lean working.

Aarhus Convention

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on the recent draft findings ACCC/C/2008/33 of the UNECE Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee on compliance by the United Kingdom with its obligations under the Aarhus Convention.

Richard Benyon: I have been asked to reply.
	We take our commitment to access to justice under the Aarhus Convention extremely seriously, and have carefully considered the findings of the Compliance Committee in ACCC/C/2008/33. We believe that the law across the United Kingdom is compliant with all obligations under the Convention, and we continue to look for ways to improve access to justice in the UK.
	In this regard, the Ministry of Justice expects to codify the case law on Protective Costs Orders, and implement the necessary rule changes by April 2011.
	The Ministry of Justice will also consult shortly on whether the factors which the courts should consider when deciding whether to dispense with cross undertakings in damages should be set out in court rules or the guidance, and the detail of those factors. Further discussions are continuing with the judiciary and other interested parties with regard to the time limits for judicial review.

Courts: Standards

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the potential effects on the  (a) caseload,  (b) processing times and  (c) number of adjournments in courts in Northumbria of HM Courts Service expenditure reductions of (i) 10, (ii) 20 and (iii) 30 per cent.

Jonathan Djanogly: No assessment has been made of the potential effects of spending reductions on courts in Northumbria. The Government are committed to ensuring that there is an efficient and effective justice system. The impact of potential spending reductions on HM Courts Service cannot be assessed until the announcement of the outcome of the spending review.

Criminal Justice System

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment his Department has made of the cost-effectiveness of  (a) the criminal justice system and  (b) early intervention and prevention of crime programmes.

Nick Herbert: One of the Ministry of Justice's principal aims is to increase the overall value for money and cost-effectiveness of the system through a range of reform and efficiency measures. For example, the Ministry's 'Transforming Justice' programme has focussed heavily on greater system efficiency, which will remain a priority over the coming Parliament and through the deficit reduction plan. Criminal justice agencies have analytical tools to enable the analysis of impacts across the criminal justice system.
	There is good evidence for some of the approaches taken to reduce crime. However, most of the evidence addresses effectiveness in reducing offending rather than cost-effectiveness. The use of payment by results mechanisms to reduce re-offending will ensure that resources are allocated in a more cost-effective way.

Departmental Drinking Water

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on bottled water in the financial year 2009-10.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry's accounting records do not specifically record expenditure on bottled water. To identify relevant expenditure would require examination of thousands of individual invoices, many held locally within the courts, prison and probation systems, and would incur disproportionate cost. It has, however, been possible to identify expenditure on bottled water within the Ministry's headquarters function. The amount for the 2009-10 financial year being £1,407.
	The expenditure relates to bottled water used for water coolers and dispensers. The cost includes sanitisation and maintenance of these devices. Water dispensers are gradually being replaced by mains-fed water filtration systems across the Ministry's estate. The Ministry no longer provides bottled water when catering for meetings or events within its headquarters buildings.

Legal Aid: Washington: Tyne and Wear

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many family legal practices in Washington and Sunderland West constituency providing legal aid services will not be eligible to do so following the recent Legal Services Commission tendering round.

Jonathan Djanogly: Following the quashing order issued by the High Court in respect of the tender for family services, the Legal Services Commission is currently considering the detail of the judgment and its implications, including its grounds for appeal. Therefore, details of awards for family legal aid are not currently available.

Probation Service

Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to end targets for the Probation Service for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of that service.

Crispin Blunt: The Government believe that the culture of top-down target setting has got out of hand. We are taking steps to reduce the burden of bureaucracy and enable the probation service to focus on what really makes a difference in cutting reoffending. We will reward the achievement of results.
	We are already piloting ways in which probation professionals can be allowed to exercise their judgment and be freed from excessive prescription from the centre.
	In parallel we are trialling a scaled-down Probation Trust Rating System with fewer indicators and a greater emphasis on outcomes rather than inputs and processes.
	We will be consulting on a new approach to rehabilitation and sentencing, including proposals to introduce payment by results, in a Green Paper to be published before Christmas. This consultation will help inform the design of a replacement assessment model for the probation service for 2011-12.

Rape: Criminal Proceedings

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information he holds on the average time taken between charges being brought and a rape case coming to trial in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: The estimated average time taken from charge (or laying of information) to completion of sexual offence cases in the magistrates courts was 50 days. This information is based on the latest Time Interval Surveys for March and June 2010. Information is not available for rape cases specifically.
	In the second quarter of 2010, the average time taken from receipt in the Crown Court to the first substantive hearing, in cases, where there was a trial, was 14 days for rape or attempted rape cases. This information is based on the Crown Court administrative data and is not directly comparable with the estimates derived from the Time Intervals Survey for the magistrates courts. Therefore, these statistics cannot be combined to provide a timeliness estimate from charge to the date of trial in the Crown Court.
	The Ministry of Justice is currently running a project to link magistrates courts and Crown Court administrative data together to develop a better understanding of case progression through the Criminal Justice system.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices: Witham

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what incentives his Department has put in place to encourage small businesses in Witham constituency to offer apprenticeships.

John Hayes: We are determined to make it easier for companies of all sizes to take on apprentices so that more businesses can access the tremendous benefits they can bring. That is why we are redirecting £150 million of Train to Gain in 2010-11 to create an additional 50,000 high quality employer-led places. The Skills Funding Agency work with the National Apprenticeships Service, employers, colleges and training organisations in Witham to make additional apprenticeship places available where there is local demand. SMEs are a priority but there is also a need to support large employers who are prepared to recruit and train apprentices.
	I am pleased to report that Essex county council is working with the National Apprenticeship Service on an Apprenticeship Training Agency pilot which is testing out a new way to make it easier for small businesses to take on apprentices in the area and has already created over 100 new apprenticeship places.

Arms Trade: Exports

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much the Government have spent on arms exports in each of the last five years; and how much has been spent in each such year on  (a) research and development funding,  (b) export promotion assistance through UK Trade and Investment and  (c) support through the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

Mark Prisk: All research and development spending by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) relates to the UK's own requirements, with none dedicated to defence exports.
	Government expenditure on supporting defence companies seeking to export was delivered by the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) of the Ministry of Defence until 31 March 2008, and thereafter by UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO). The net operational cost of UKTI DSO in the last two financial years is as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2008-09 14.6 
			 2009-10 15.8 
			  Note: Figures prior to 2008-09 are not available on a comparable basis. 
		
	
	The Export Credits Guarantee Department has supported defence exports involving a maximum potential liability in each of the last five financial years as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2005-06 522 
			 2006-07 750 
			 2007-08 1,026.3 
			 2008-09 12.5 
			 2009-10 11.6

Business Links

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many small and medium-sized enterprises used the Business Link service in financial year  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2007-08,  (c) 2008-09 and  (d) 2009-10.

Mark Prisk: The Business Link regional advisory service, as contracted by the Regional Development Agencies, records the number of unique SME service users in each financial year. The following are the number of start-up and established business service users (excluding pre-starts) in each of the requested financial years:
	
		
			  Business Users  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Start-ups trading < 12 months 46,093 52,178 54,806 58,662 
			 Established 564,241 537,901 678,916 698,246 
		
	
	The centrally operated Business Link national website is managed by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Any questions relating to usage of the website should be submitted to HMRC.

Direct Selling

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the merits of requiring organisations not to withhold their number when undertaking telephone marketing.

Mark Prisk: No assessment has been made by the Department as this is the responsibility of Ofcom. Under the Communications Act 2003, Ofcom's guidelines require organisations which undertake telephone marketing using automated calling systems to ensure, amongst other things, for valid and accurate Call Line Identification (CLI) to be provided in order that consumers can determine who called in the event of a silent call, by dialling 1471. Ofcom can take enforcement action against those organisations that persistently misuse networks or services in this way which causes, or is likely to cause, unnecessary annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety. Ofcom published a revised statement of policy, on 10 September 2008, which includes examples of behaviour which may lead them to take enforcement action and have an ongoing enforcement programme.
	http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/persistent_misuse/amendment/

EU Grants and Loans

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on the implications for the distribution of European Union funds of replacing regional development agencies.

Mark Prisk: BIS has received a number of representations on the implications of the abolition of the regional development agencies on the distribution of European Regional Development Funding, these include three parliamentary questions on ERDF funding in Blackpool; and correspondence relating to convergence funding in Cornwall.

EU Grants and Loans

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what mechanisms he plans to adopt to ensure that remaining unspent funds allocated to regions of England under the European Regional Development Fund for 2007 to 2013 are  (a) claimed and  (b) allocated.

Bob Neill: I have been asked to reply.
	As managing authority for English 2007-13 ERDF programmes, my Department closely monitors the progress of these programmes against spend targets and will take any necessary steps to ensure that the remaining unspent funds are allocated and claimed.

Further Education: Finance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions  (a) he had with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and  (b) further education colleges or their representative organisations had with the ONS before its decision to reclassify general further education as part of central Government for accounting and borrowing purposes.

John Hayes: There were no discussions between the ONS and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills or representative organisations prior to notification of its decision. The ONS is an independent body which classifies organisations as public or private sector bodies for the purposes of compiling National Accounts according to international and EU agreed guidelines. The ONS' decisions are based on objective consideration of the facts and it is the final arbiter of classification decisions for the purpose of National Accounts.

Further Education: Finance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely effect on the borrowing ability of general further education colleges of the reclassification of such colleges as part of central Government.

John Hayes: The reclassification will mean that colleges are treated differently for National Accounts purposes. This change is not expected to make any difference to the financial arrangements of further education colleges for the remainder of this financial year (2010-11). We are in discussion with HM Treasury to agree how the changes will work in future years but it does not automatically follow that further education colleges should adopt the same control systems as central Government. The reclassification does not in itself limit their ability to borrow money.

Further Education: Finance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely effect on general further education colleges of the reclassification of them as part of central Government in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) subsequent years.

John Hayes: The reclassification will mean that colleges are treated differently for National Accounts purposes. There may be some changes to the way financial information from colleges is collected and monitored. However, the change is not expected to make any difference to current accounting practice, standards or financial arrangements for the remainder of this financial year (2010-11). The reclassification does not automatically mean that colleges should adopt the same accounting, budgeting and control systems as central Government. The Department is taking forward urgent work with HM Treasury to agree how the changes will work in practice for the future, seeking to minimise burdens wherever possible. We will fully engage representatives from the sector in these discussions.

Further Education: Finance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to assist further education colleges whose borrowing ability is affected by their reclassification as part of central Government.

John Hayes: The reclassification does not in itself limit the ability of further education colleges to borrow money. It does not automatically mean that they should adopt the same accounting, budgeting and control systems as central Government. The Department is considering how the changes will work in practice for the future, seeking to minimise burdens wherever possible. We will fully engage representatives from the sector in these discussions.

Further Education: Finance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the monetary value of loans taken out by general further education colleges in 2010-11; and if he will estimate the level of borrowing by those colleges affected by the decision to reclassify them as part of central Government for accounting purposes in each of the next three years.

John Hayes: Information held by the Skills Funding Agency estimates new long term loans taken out by further education colleges in the academic year 2010/11 at £445 million; 2011/12 at £125 million; and 2012/13 at £8 million. Overall borrowing is expected to return to its current value of £1.3 billion at July 2010 by July 2013. College financial forecasts do not project beyond this date.
	This information relates to 249 of the 251 further education colleges incorporated under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 for which the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is responsible. Hilderstone College and The Co-operative College do not receive funds from the Skills Funding Agency and are not required to provide it with financial returns.

Further Education: Non-departmental Public Bodies

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to reduce the number of non-departmental public bodies involved in the further education sector.

John Hayes: holding answer 18 October 2010
	I am replying to this question as Minister responsible for the further education sector. As part of our radical steps to reform the network of bodies sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, we are planning to significantly reduce the non-departmental public bodies involved in the further education sector.
	The UK Commission for Employment and Skills, providing high level employer engagement and sectoral reach, is under consideration. A review will be completed by the end of the year of core functions and the most appropriate organisational model to deliver a simplified skills landscape across the UK.
	A range of other bodies are being abolished, merged, or are becoming part of the further education sector. In addition, as with the three industry training bodies, we are exploring the scope for a statutory levy to be operated by a private sector organisation.
	The Department for Education is responsible for funding 16 to 18 education; a lot of which is delivered by the further education sector. The DfE has confirmed that the Young People's Learning Agency which funds young people's participation in education and training is under departmental review as part of the wider work on education structural reforms.
	In addition the DfE has, in line with plans to improve accountability, transparency and efficiency, announced proposals to close the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency and the Qualification and Curriculum Development Agency.

Higher Education: Ethnic Groups

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent estimate is of the proportion of school leavers from ethnic minority groups entering higher education.

David Willetts: 44% of English maintained-school pupils from ethnic minority groups, who were aged 15 in the 2003/04 academic year, progressed to higher education by age 19 in 2007/08. This figure is the latest available estimate based on matched data from the National Pupil Database, the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record and the Learning and Skills Council Individualised Learner Record. Progression rates to higher education for ethnic minority groups are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Estimates of the proportions of English maintained-school pupils from ethnic minority groups( 1)  aged 15 in 2003/04 who progressed to higher education( 2)  by age 19 in 2007/08 
			  Ethnic group  Progression rate (percentage) 
			 All ethnic minorities 44 
			 Black(3) 35 
			 Asian(4) 52 
			 Mixed(5) 33 
			 Other(6) 42 
			 (1) Ethnic minority groups include pupils whose ethnicity was classified as Black, Asian, Mixed or Other. (2) Covers UK higher education institutions and English further education colleges. (3) Includes African, Caribbean and other Black backgrounds. (4) Includes Bangladeshi, Chinese, Indian, Pakistani and other Asian backgrounds. (5) Includes White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean and other mixed backgrounds. (6) Includes Romany Gypsy and other backgrounds.  Note: Percentages are based on pupils with known ethnicity and exclude those pupils whose ethnicity information was classified as unknown, refused or missing.  Source: Matched data from the National Pupil Database, the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record and the Learning and Skills Council Individualised Learner Record.

Higher Education: Finance

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he had with  (a) the Secretary of State for Scotland,  (b) the Scottish Executive and  (c) Universities Scotland on the Browne Review of higher education funding and student finance before the publication of the report of that review.

David Willetts: Since taking office my ministerial colleagues and I have had discussions with the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Scottish Executive on a variety of subjects. Higher education is a devolved matter and I have not met with Universities Scotland. Lord Browne and his team took their own decisions about the wide discussions they had with interested parties prior to the publication of their independent review.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has  (a) estimated the optimal geographic area to be covered by a local enterprise partnership (LEP),  (b) estimated the optimal (i) population and (ii) gross domestic product of an area to be covered by an LEP and  (c) estimated the optimal number of LEPs to be established.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 18 October 2010
	The development of local enterprise partnerships is a bottom up process. We have made no judgements regarding the optimal geography, population or gross domestic product of a LEP nor made an estimate on the optimal number of LEPs to be established. We wish to enable partnerships to better reflect the natural economic geography of the areas they serve and hence to cover real functional economic and travel to work areas. In addition, we would expect that partnerships to be of sufficient size to be able to have a strategic oversight of the area covered.

Midwives: Training

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students were enrolled on each midwifery course at each higher education institution in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Willetts: The latest information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is shown in the table. These figures cover the total number of midwifery enrolments at each UK higher education institution. Each institution may run more than one course; however HESA data do not allow identification of enrolments at course level. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will be available in January 2011.
	
		
			  Midwifery enrolments( 1)  by higher education institution-UK higher education institutions academic year 2008/09 
			  Higher education institution  Midwifery enrolments 
			 Open University 0 
			 Cranfield University 0 
			 Royal College of Art 0 
			 Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln 0 
			 Buckinghamshire New University 0 
			 Central School of Speech and Drama 0 
			 University of Chester 120 
			 Canterbury Christ Church University 210 
			 York St John University 0 
			 University College Plymouth St Mark and St John 0 
			 Edge Hill University 60 
			 University College Falmouth 0 
			 Harper Adams University College 0 
			 University of Winchester 0 
			 Liverpool Hope University 0 
			 University of the Arts, London 0 
			 University of Bedfordshire 1,135 
			 University of Northampton 110 
			 Newman University College 0 
			 Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication 0 
			 Roehampton University 0 
			 Rose Bruford College 0 
			 Royal Academy of Music 0 
			 Royal College of Music 0 
			 Royal Northern College of Music 0 
			 Southampton Solent University 0 
			 University of Cumbria 25 
			 St Marys University College, Twickenham 0 
			 Leeds Trinity University College 0 
			 Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance 0 
			 University of Worcester 105 
			 Anglia Ruskin University 255 
			 Bath Spa University 0 
			 University of Bolton 0 
			 Bournemouth University 465 
			 University of Brighton 95 
			 Birmingham City University 240 
			 University of Central Lancashire 425 
			 University of Gloucestershire 0 
			 Coventry University 80 
			 University of Derby 0 
			 University of East London 0 
			 University of Greenwich 150 
			 University of Hertfordshire 235 
			 University of Huddersfield 60 
			 University of Lincoln 0 
			 Kingston University 205 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 0 
			 Liverpool John Moores University 55 
			 The Manchester Metropolitan University 0 
			 Middlesex University 420 
			 De Montfort University 150 
			 University of Northumbria at Newcastle 150 
			 The Nottingham Trent University 0 
			 Oxford Brookes University 60 
			 University of Plymouth 105 
			 University of Portsmouth 0 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 90 
			 London South Bank University 90 
			 Staffordshire University 45 
			 University of Sunderland 0 
			 University of Teesside 120 
			 Thames Valley University 445 
			 University of the West of England, Bristol 205 
			 University of Chichester 0 
			 University of Westminster 0 
			 University of Wolverhampton 145 
			 University of Wales, Newport 0 
			 Glyndwr University 0 
			 University of Wales Institute, Cardiff 0 
			 University of Glamorgan 60 
			 Swansea Metropolitan University 0 
			 Trinity University College 0 
			 University of Abertay Dundee 0 
			 Edinburgh College of Art 0 
			 Glasgow School of Art 0 
			 Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh 0 
			 The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama 0 
			 The Robert Gordon University 90 
			 University of the West of Scotland 235 
			 Glasgow Caledonian University 160 
			 Edinburgh Napier University 115 
			 Aston University 0 
			 University of Bath 0 
			 University of Birmingham 0 
			 University of Bradford 195 
			 University of Bristol 0 
			 Brunei University 0 
			 University of Cambridge 0 
			 The City University 220 
			 University of Durham 0 
			 University of East Anglia 105 
			 University of Essex 0 
			 University of Exeter 0 
			 University of Hull 75 
			 University of Keele 80 
			 University of Kent 0 
			 University of Lancaster 0 
			 University of Leeds 125 
			 University of Leicester 0 
			 University of Liverpool 0 
			 Birkbeck College 0 
			 Goldsmiths College 0 
			 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 0 
			 Institute of Education 0 
			 Kings College London 170 
			 London Business School 0 
			 London School of Economics and Political 0 
			 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 0 
			 Queen Mary and Westfield College 0 
			 Royal Holloway and Bedford New College 0 
			 The Royal Veterinary College 0 
			 St Georges Hospital Medical School 0 
			 The School of Oriental and African Studies 0 
			 The School of Pharmacy 0 
			 University College London 0 
			 University of London (Institutes and activities) 0 
			 Loughborough University 0 
			 University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 0 
			 University of Nottingham 235 
			 University of Oxford 0 
			 University of Reading 0 
			 University of Salford 275 
			 University of Sheffield 55 
			 University of Southampton 85 
			 University of Surrey 210 
			 University of Sussex 0 
			 University of Warwick 0 
			 University of York 35 
			 University of Edinburgh 0 
			 University of Glasgow 0 
			 University of Strathclyde 0 
			 University of Aberdeen 0 
			 Heriot-Watt University 0 
			 University of Dundee 85 
			 University of St Andrews 0 
			 University of Stirling 90 
			 Scottish Agricultural College 0 
			 University of Wales, Lampeter 0 
			 Aberystwyth University 0 
			 Bangor University 45 
			 Cardiff University 100 
			 Swansea University 65 
			 The Queens University of Belfast 165 
			 University of Ulster 0 
			 The Institute of Cancer Research 0 
			 Writtle College 0 
			 Norwich University College of the Arts 0 
			 Stranmillis University College 0 
			 St Marys University College 0 
			 Royal Agricultural College 0 
			 UHI Millennium Institute 0 
			 Arts University College at Bournemouth 0 
			 Conservatoire for Dance and Drama 0 
			 University College Birmingham 0 
			 Courtauld Institute of Art 0 
			 London Metropolitan University 0 
			 University of Buckingham 0 
			 University of Manchester 205 
			 Heythrop College 0 
			 University for the Creative Arts 0 
			 Leeds College of Music 0 
			 Guildhall School of Music and Drama 0 
			 The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts 0 
			 University Campus Suffolk 55 
			 Total 9,410 
			 (1) Covers enrolments of all domiciles, levels and modes of study. Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

One NorthEast

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will ensure that the  (a) assets and  (b) income from assets held by the North East Regional Development Agency remain in the North East.

Mark Prisk: This Department is currently working with One NorthEast to gather a full picture of all their assets and liabilities. No decisions have yet been made on the future of these assets. Government's aim is to use funding for economic development as effectively as possible and to target resources where they are most needed. Consideration will be given to options for disposal, transfer, or retention of these assets, consistent with the Government's commitment to localism.

Public Houses: Rural Areas

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the proportion of those pubs in rural areas which have closed in the last 12 months which were located in areas where affordable housing developments are planned.

Edward Davey: None.

Regional Growth Fund

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria his Department plans to use to determine the outcome of applications to the Regional Growth Fund.

Mark Prisk: The Government's consultation on the Regional Growth Fund sought views on the proposed criteria against which applications for the fund could be judged against. The consultation closed on 6 September and the responses received are now being considered with a view to publishing further information on the design and implementation of the Regional Growth Fund as part of the White Paper on sub-national growth, expected later in the autumn.

Research: Standards

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he made of the effectiveness of the Research Assessment Exercise in evaluating the quality of research undertaken by higher education institutions.

David Willetts: The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) rates the quality of research in higher education institutions in the UK. The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has not assessed the RAE process. Instead, the UK Higher Education funding bodies invited Sir Gareth Roberts to lead an independent review of research assessment in 2002. The review made recommendations which were incorporated into RAE 2008. The results of the review are available at:
	http://www.ra-review.ac.uk/reports/roberts.asp

Skilled Workers: Construction

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme on the comprehensive spending review;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the construction industry on the future of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme smart cards.

Mark Prisk: None.

Skilled Workers: Construction

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to provide support for the construction industry.

Mark Prisk: The Government's priority is to address the budget deficit and the challenge of creating growth across the economy, in order to create conditions where investment in construction can start to grow, and more jobs can be created. For example, the Government are supporting the construction sector through the ongoing work of the chief construction adviser, Paul Morrell, who is leading the Low Carbon Construction Innovation and Growth Team, which is reviewing opportunities for the construction industry in a low carbon economy.

Student Loans Company

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the monetary value was of loans made by the Student Loans Company in each of the last five years; and what he expects the monetary value to be of loans made in each of the next five years.

David Willetts: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Student loans issued by financial year( 1) 
			  Financial year  Amount (£ million) 
			 2005-06 2,465.0 
			 2006-07 2,954.1 
			 2007-08 3,905.0 
			 2008-09 4,204.1 
			 2009-10 (provisional) 5,049.1 
			 (1) The table covers English domiciled students studying in the UK and EU students studying in England.  Source: Student Loans Company. 
		
	
	The introduction of tuition fee loans in academic year 2006/07 has contributed to the increase in loans made.
	Data for 2010-11 out-turn is not yet available. Expenditure for 2011-12 and future years will depend on the outcome of the spending review which will be announced on 20 October and on the response to the Browne review of higher education funding and student finance. This is a substantial report and we shall consult further on some of the more detailed proposals before making specific recommendations to Parliament, with a view to implementing the changes for student entering higher education in autumn 2012.

Students: Loans

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of people who took out student loans between 1998 and 2009 who will not have repaid the loan in full  (a) 25 years after such loans were taken out and  (b) at the age of 65 years.

David Willetts: Student loans issued to students who entered Higher Education in Academic Year 1998/99 onwards were issued under the Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) scheme. Loans can be cancelled if the borrower dies or receives a disability related benefit and because of the disability is permanently unfit for work. They can also be cancelled on age grounds-at age 65 for entrants pre-2006/07 and after 25 years for entrants from 2006/07 onwards.
	At the end of April 2010 there were 2.985 million borrowers either English domiciled studying in the UK or EU domiciled studying in England. Of these 0.238 million had repaid their loans in full and 7,000 had their outstanding sum cancelled.
	Of the remaining 2.741 million borrowers we estimate that around 8% will have their outstanding sum cancelled after 25 years or at age 65 and 3% will have their outstanding sum cancelled because of death or permanent disability. We estimate that the remaining 89% of borrowers will fully repay.

Students: Loans

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the average debt repayment by graduates to the Student Loans Company in each financial year since 1998 for which figures are available.

David Willetts: The answer covers English domiciled borrowers who studied in the UK and EU students who studied in England. It excludes Welsh, Northern Irish and Scottish domiciled students.
	
		
			  Average amount repaid by Income Contingent student loan borrowers making repayments via HMRC( 1) 
			  Tax year  Average repayment 
			 2000/01 330 
			 2001/02 420 
			 2002/03 420 
			 2003/04 480 
			 2004/05 590 
			 2005/06(2) 500 
			 2006/07 610 
			 2007/08 720 
			 2008/09 790 
			 (1) The table covers borrowers who received loans as English domiciled students studying in the UK or as EU students studying in England. It relates to repayments made via HMRC as known by SLC at 30 April 2010. Repayments not yet reported to SLC and repayments made directly to SLC will not be included. (2) The repayments threshold was raised from £10,000 to £15,000 at the start of tax year 2005/06, which caused the average repayment to fall.  Source: Student Loans Company 
		
	
	Income Contingent loans were introduced in 1998 and the first repayments were made in 2000/01, therefore consistent data before 2000/01 is not available. The figures are taken from the publication Income Contingent Repayment by Repayment Cohort and Tax Year, available from the Student Loans Company website at:
	www.slc.co.uk/pdf/SLCOSP032010.pdf
	Note that figures cover student loan borrowers regardless of whether they are graduates or not. Figures show averages for those making repayments; borrowers earning below £15,000 per year are not required to repay.

Students: Loans

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the likely percentage of graduates who will have paid off their debt from the Student Loans Company within 30 years.

David Willetts: Student loans issued to students who entered higher education in academic year 1998/99 onwards were issued under the Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) scheme. Loans can be cancelled if the borrower dies or receives a disability related benefit and because of the disability is permanently unfit for work. They can also be cancelled on age grounds-at age 65 for entrants pre-2006/07 and after 25 years for entrants from 2006/07 onwards.
	We do not specifically estimate the percentage of graduates who will repay their loans within 30 years. However, at the end of April 2010 there were 2.985 million borrowers either English domiciled studying in the UK or EU domiciled studying in England. Of these 0.238 million had repaid their loans in full and 7,000 had their outstanding sum cancelled.
	Of the remaining 2.741 million borrowers we estimate that around 8% will have their outstanding sum cancelled after 25 years or at age 65 and 3% will have their outstanding sum cancelled because of death or permanent disability. We estimate that the remaining 89% of borrowers will fully repay.